Can you Feel the Heat
by ReluctantSlashFan
Summary: When a string of bombings plague Hawaii, Jameson recruits Five-0 to catch the perps. But what happens when Five-0 become victims themselves? Sequel to Confined...
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys, long time no see... Or is it short time no see? Oh well.**

**Anyway, this is the sequel to Confined. I'm not sure how sequelly (yes, I know it's not a word) it'll be until I get further into the story, but I will try mentioning Confined a few times. So, I recommend you read that one before this one. But if you don't want to then I'll sum it up: "Danny got buried alive, he's dealing with some issues, and he's in therapy." That's about it.**

**Um... I'm iffy about this story. While reading it I wasn't sure if I described McGarrett accurately, and I would love to know if I screwed up. Plus, I rewrote it so many times and this was not my first idea. So, it's up to you, my readers, whether or not I should continue or go back to the drawing boards.**

**So, I should probably go. I own nothing, see ya in the next chapter, and I will try to get in as much whump as possible as this story goes on.  
**

**Bye...**

**5-0 5-0 5-0  
**

It was his first good dream in weeks (his therapist Nikolas 'Norman' Bates-he begrudgingly admitted-had a huge hand in this breakthrough, along with a few others), when pounding woke him.

Groaning, Danny rolled out of bed, taking a second to untangle his legs from his blankets. He left them on the floor, in heap, as he stumbled out of his room. In his living room/kitchen/dining room the pounding got louder, the small lights-plugged in his wall-snapping off when he turned the main lights on. Of course it was coming from his door, and as much as he hoped it wasn't Steve a part of him knew it had to be McGarrett. It was three-thirty in the morning, it wouldn't be anybody sane.

He managed to get tripped up by one of his shoes, grabbing his couch to keep from falling. Swearing, he continued forward, pulling the door open. "Steve, why am I not surprise?" he asked finding his partner on the other side.

Steve had been running on coffee and fumes for the better part of a week, ever since they had gotten their new case. Four government owned buildings had been blown up, each bomb made by crude materials that could be found in any hardware store, every building empty. Five-0 suspected a group of young, anti-government activists, but couldn't quite find a lead as to who these people might be. Jameson had wanted this case wrapped up as soon as possible, and Steve took her command seriously, a little too serious if anybody asked Danny. The SEAL had dark circles under his eyes, his face was pale and drawn, and he looked ten years older than he was. He looked like hell, and didn't exactly smell any better.

"We've got a lead," Steve said pushing past Danny, stalking across the room. "Get dressed, we've gotta go."

"Who gets a lead at three-thirty in the morning?" Danny asked closing the door.

"A few minutes from now," McGarrett started pretending Williams didn't say anything, "these bastards are going to be meeting up, and we need to be there. So, get dressed." he gestured toward Danny's room. "And don't worry about getting all professional either, it'll take too long."

Williams rolled his eyes, grumbling under his breath as he headed toward his bedroom. He closed the door, moving toward his closet. As he collected what he was going to wear, he called through the door, "Are we taking backup?"

"Chin and Kono are meeting us there," Steve yelled back.

"Of course they are," Danny muttered throwing on a pair of jeans and a Jets sweatshirt. A part of him wanted to just take the time to put on the slacks, the dress shirt, the tie, but he wanted these bastard caught as much as McGarrett did. So, he opted for casual.

"Hurry up," Steve called banging on the door.

"Keep it up and I'm putting on a tie," Danny snapped collecting a pair of socks and shoes. He opened the door, looking up at his partner, "Let's go."

As Steve drove, Danny pulled his shoes on. He was doing up the laces when he curiously asked, "So, where did this lead come from?"

"Anonymous call," Steve replied flicking the sirens on to run a red light.

"You do know that's abusing the badge," Williams pointed out, but McGarrett pretended to not hear him. Danny rolled his eyes, but let it go. He looked out the window and said, "And this person called you personally?"

"No, he called HPD. I happened to answer."

"Did you even go home?" McGarrett had taken to camping out in his office, Danny, Chin, and Kono finding him on numerous occasions, head resting in his arms, his computer flashing one sight or another.

"Yeah," Steve lied horribly.

"Really? Because I left at one-thirty and you were still on your computer. And I'm sure the call had to come in at a quarter to three, maybe earlier. Which means you either went home for a half-hour or you were still working. And I'm leaning more towards the latter.

"Just curious, have you ever heard of taking a break?" Steve didn't respond, causing Danny to shake his head.

They stopped in front of an old, dilapidated, gray shack. Chin was leaning against his bike, talking to Kono who sat on the hood of her Cruze. Both stopped mid-conversation, watching as Steve and Danny joined them.

"Okay, here's the plan," McGarrett said quickly. "We are going in that house," he pointed three places down to an even older, more dilapidated shack. "We..."

"According to your anonymous caller?" Danny interrupted curiously, gesturing toward his partner.

"Yes," Steve replied throwing him a look. He clearly wanted Danny to shush and listen to him. "Anyway, Danny and I will go in the front. While you two," he pointed at Chin and Kono, "go in through the back."

"Are you sure this caller was legit?" Williams silently congratulated himself when Steve gave him his patented 'constipated' face. He hadn't seen the face in a while.

"Danny, worse case it's a prank we waste, maybe, fifteen minutes of our lives. Best case, we wrap this thing up tonight."

"No. No, no, no, no. Worst case, this is a trap," Danny started stepping toward his partner, "and we end up in an ambush."

"Hey, if you don't want to go..."

"Hey, I never said I didn't want to go. I just want to make sure you thought of every possible outcome. I really don't feel like getting shot tonight."

"Why so optimistic, Danny," Kono asked sarcastically.

"Can we just get this done?" Steve snapped. He got very testy when he didn't get much sleep. Danny almost asked if McGarrett needed an IV with caffeine in it, but thought better of it. It would be like poking a bear who knew karate.

Not long after the team was vested up, weapons locked and loaded, and ready to go. As Five-0 started forward, Danny couldn't help sending up a silent prayer. Just in case this turned out to be a trap...

**5-0 5-0 5-0**

Steve briefly met Danny's eyes, uncertainty still etched in them, but the shorter blond still nodded once. McGarrett turned, kicking the door in. Wood splintered, the door collided with the wall with a satisfying _thud_ and he ran inside, his partner close behind him.

The place, unsurprisingly, was empty. Danny didn't say anything, but his gesture around the one-roomed shack said it all: it had been a prank call. Oh, when Steve found the little shit who called him...

"Are we early?" Chin asked straight-faced, he and Kono joining them.

"No, I think..." McGarrett caught a flash of red, under a broken chair. He moved toward it, his eyes widening when he realized what it was. There was no time to disarm it, they had to get out now.

"Go," he commanded shoving Danny and Kono ahead of him, ushering them toward the door.

"What are..." Williams trailed off, noticing the flashing red, too. He grabbed Kono's hand, pulling her out the door despite the fact that she fought him.

"Chin c'mon," Steve exclaimed ignoring the fact that the older man hesitated at the sight. He grabbed the seasoned cop's arm, yanking him toward the door. Chin stumbled over his own feet, nearly tripping over the threshold, right behind Steve. Both men were barely off the front porch when a blast hit them from behind, knocking them off their feet...

**5-0 5-0 5-0**

Kono awoke coughing, each cough chest deep and leaving her hurting. She sat up, her head pounding in time with her heart, looking around. Her memories were scattered, she couldn't quite remember how she had ended up on the ground. Then her eyes landed on the glowing, orange flames and it came back to her.

"Chin!" she called scrambling to her feet. "Danny! Steve!" she looked around, panic nearly over-whelming her, hoping to find one of her teammates, if not all of them.

"Kono," a familiar voice called, coming from her left. She whirled around, almost fell, but managed to keep her footing as she stumbled toward the voice.

"Danny," she whispered kneeling next to him. The right side of his head was covered in blood, coming from a gash deep in his hairline. More crimson dripped from his arm, his shirt slowly turning red. He was covered in dirt and soot, his usual blond hair much, much darker.

"Hey," Kono said gently, "are you okay?"

"Yeah," Danny replied pushing himself up. He visibly paled when he was upright, almost toppling over again. Kono managed to grab his shoulder, keeping him from landing on the ground. Williams looked around, eyes landing on the slowly burning shack. "Where's Steve and Chin?"

"I don't know," Kono replied worry pulsing through her veins. She glanced back at flames, pieces of scattered shack littering the yard. A few neighbors stood on their porches, phones to their ears.

"We've gotta call this in," Danny said trying to stand. He made it about three inches before he fell back to the ground.

"I don't think that's a problem," Kalakaua said looking around again.

"Why?"

"Because the neighbors..." she trailed off, a staggering silhouette catching her attention. "Oh, my God." she jumped to her feet, ignoring the wave of dizziness that rolled through her, and ran forward.

He was holding his right arm against his stomach, his left pressed tightly against his freely bleeding side, crimson soaking his shirt. More blood fell from his left ear and from his nose. He was dirty and sooty, limping heavily on his left leg. It was a wonder he was still standing.

"Steve," Kono exclaimed when her boss took one final step before collapsing in a heap. She dropped down next to him, feeling around for a pulse. She found a sluggish one, relieved he hadn't keeled over in death. Her relief was short lived as she realized her cousin was still missing. Sirens wailing in the background, Kono couldn't help thinking, _Chin where are you?_


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys. Thanks so much for reviewing, alerting, reading, and just plain supporting this story. It was much appreciated and I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**Quick thing: I wanted to say the italics are Chin. Just letting you know that they aren't a dream, just Chin... in a coma? unconscious? partially conscious? Whatever the case, the story didn't feel right without him, so I put in the little italic part. And I will have more, if you want them.**

**Well, I'd better go. Thanks again, I'll see ya in the next chapter, and please let me know if I screwed up anything (or what you think).**

**See ya...**

**5-0 5-0 5-0  
**

_White, hot pain spread through him, a blanket of claustrophobia causing darkness covered him. He tried to escape it, tried to break free, but it held on too tightly._

_ Above him he heard voices, one close enough he could just make out the words. _"Hang on, Brah. We're almost there..."_ he was sure the voice continued to speak, but he was slowly sinking deeper into the darkness. Before he knew it the voice had cut off completely, and he was alone..._

**5-0 5-0 5-0**

Damn McGarrett and his stupid, half-ass stunts. They wouldn't be in this mess if it wasn't for him. But he wouldn't listen to Danny, wouldn't take a few seconds to think '_hm, maybe the call was a trap'_, and here they were. At a frigging hospital. _Stupid SEAL and his stupid God-complex. I should kick his ass, if he wasn't already banged up..._

Danny sat on the edge of a gurney, grimacing every time the suture needle entered his flesh. He had already sat through six stitches to his head, fifteen more to his forearm shouldn't have hurt this much. As injuries go, he had gotten relatively lucky. He managed to escape a concussion, yet the cut on his head was plenty deep, along with the six-inch deep cut on his arm.

"That should do it," his doctor said collecting all his used supplies. He piled them on a tray, getting to his feet. "As much as I wish you'd stay for observations, I'm not fighting you. Just let me get you some release forms and you can go." the doctor collected his tray and walked out of the curtained off cubical. Kono ducked in a second later.

She had a bruise running from just below her right temple to her cheek. Her left wrist was wrapped in an ACE bandage and her chin was sporting a cut. She definitely got off lightly on the injuries, too.

"Hey, did they find Chin?" Danny asked curiously, trying and failing to mask the worry in his voice. She shook her head, crossing the room to sit next to him. "Well, I'm sure they'll find him soon."

"I hope so," Kono replied quietly, eyes glued to the floor. It reminded Danny of Grace when she was upset. Kalakaua sniffed once, before meeting Danny's eyes and asking, "Have you heard anything on McGarrett?" _You mean the bane of my existence?_

"No, I was hoping you did."

"Nothing, yet..."

They fell silent, Kono absent-mindedly taking Danny's hand and squeezing. He squeezed back, hoping it was comfort enough. Shouting sounded from outside the cubical. Without breaking contact, Danny and Kono slid from the gurney and stepped out into the hallway.

Another gurney was pushed by, a doctor kneeling next to the patients head giving him compressions while an EMT pumped oxygen into his lungs.

"Come on, damn it," the doctor snapped touching two fingers to the side of the guy's neck, trying to find a pulse. "Got a weak one," she said to whoever was listening. "Get him to the ER, now." the doctor moved her arm, revealing the man's face.

"Holy hell." his face was covered in dirt, ash, and blood. His left arm was red and raw, suggesting a first degree burn. It was the same with his shoulder, the appendage already a purplish color. And those were just his superficial wounds, Danny had no idea what was going on internally.

"CHIN!" Kono screamed yanking her hand free from Danny's. She tried to run toward her cousin, but Williams' reacted too fast. He grabbed hold of her waist, stopping her from springing in the gurney's path. She tried to break free, but he held on tighter, until she finally calmed down. Chin and co. had already disappeared behind a set of swinging doors.

"C'mon." he lead her back into his cubical, lowering her onto the gurney. "Don't think about the negative. Chin needs you to be optimistic for him. Okay?"

Kono nodded trembling slightly, looking as if she might puke if she opened her mouth. Danny sat next to her, gently putting an arm around her shoulder. She rested her head on his shoulder, her dark hair tickling his face.

They sat like that for a few minutes, in silence, until the curtain moved. Both broke apart as a nurse walked in.

"Were you two asking about Steve McGarrett?" he asked looking half asleep, a clipboard under his arm.

"Yeah," Danny replied getting to his feet. Kono copied, both waiting expectantly.

"Commander McGarrett has been moved into a room, and can have visitors. Are you two family?" he eyed them warily.

"Closest thing you're gonna get," Danny responded without hesitation. All that O'hana stuff had rubbed off on him, his team was like his family. Besides, Grace had already accepted them as family, and he trusted his daughter's instincts. They were his after all. And besides, just because Steve screwed up again, didn't mean Danny was going to abandon him. It wasn't what friends did to one another.

"So, he has no family?"

"He's got a sister in California..." Williams trailed off, sighing. "Look, don't make me pull out my badge." he was aware he was abusing the badge, having berated McGarrett about the same thing not even three hours ago, but he didn't care.

"Relax, Brah. I'll take you guys to him."

"Thank you."

Kono and Danny followed the nurse in silence while he said, "I'd advise you talk to his doctor first. He kept insisting he was fine."

"Yeah, that sounds like McGarrett," Danny muttered, Kono nodding in agreement. "So, he's awake?"

"In and out of consciousness, mostly out. His doctor will explain more." they stopped at a bank of elevators. Danny hesitated, watching as the nurse pressed the down button. He had had a thing about small spaces since O'Riley, especially dark ones. An elevator could easily shut down, lights could go off, and he would be stuck in the dark. And he hated the dark. Yes, he sounded like a wuss, but being buried alive wasn't a walk in the frigging park, either.

"You okay?" Kono asked in his ear, making him jump. He realized the doors were open and the nurse was waiting for him and Kono to get on the car.

Danny took a deep breath, blowing it out. "Yeah," he said and stepped into the elevator. He backed into the corner, bracing himself by grabbing the railing. When the doors slid closed he took several deep breaths through his nose, his knuckles turning white as the gripped the railing tightly. The car began to move, Danny tracking every groan and creak it made.

"Relax," Kono whispered resting a hand on his shoulder. "It's just one floor."

"I know," he hissed back as the doors opened. He practically ran out of the car, breathing deeply. He made a mental note to take the stairs when he left...

**5-0 5-0 5-0**

Guilt had become a normal emotion for Steve. He felt guilty everyday for causing his father's death, guilty for almost getting his team killed on numerous occasions, guilty for almost losing Mary... He was always filled with a big, steaming pile of guilt, and this incident was not making it any smaller.

He should have known it was a trap, he was trained to foresee those types of situations, yet he hadn't. He had gone in blindly, despite the fact that Danny had warned him it could be a trap, and now his team was hurt. He just had no idea how bad.

His side was on fire, his head and ankle not fairing much better. His ribs were okay, now, but if he moved or jostled them in any way he was reminded of how bruised they were, so he opted to sit ramrod straight, not moving an inch. And according to his doctor he had temporary hearing loss in his left ear. Injuries, on top of guilt, kind of felt right in a way.

The door opened, a very bruised and tired looking Danny and Kono walked in. Each had an unreadable expression on their faces, obviously they were trying to hide something from him.

"Hey," Danny said in the quiet voice he saved for witnesses, victims, or families of victims. Steve didn't need his partner to use that voice, he was none of the above. He was as good as a suspect, getting his team caught up in this. He should be getting read the riot act read to him, getting bitched out like he always was. "How long you been awake?"

"Not very long," McGarrett replied, his voice rough. He must have suffered a little smoke inhalation, too (Why wasn't he surprised?). His eyes flicked between Danny and Kono, the lack of a third presence not missed. "Where's Chin?"

Williams and Kalakaua exchanged uncertain looks before meeting Steve's eyes. "Man, hearing loss has got to be the kicker, huh? Of course, now when you're sick of me always talking you can turn your head to the left and completely block me out. But only for twenty-four hours, forty-eight if you're lucky."

Steve had gotten used to Danny's incessant talking, it was a part of his character, and had kinda gotten used to it. But it was rare for the Jersey native to talk to distract others. Yes, he talked and talked and talked, but Steve suspected it was to distract himself from certain things. He'd go on a rant about another one of McGarrett's half-assed plans to avoid thinking about almost dying. Bitch about Rachel to keep his fear of potentially losing Grace at bay. Constantly complain about why he hated Hawaii to convince himself he didn't enjoy it here, despite the fact that the place had grown on him. Each one of his rants was just a way to distract himself.

"Seriously, where's Chin?" but Steve didn't want a distraction. He wanted to make sure his team was all in one piece, that he wasn't about to bury somebody else he cared about. And he was going to keep asking where Chin was until he got a damn answer.

"Steve, they just brought him in," Kono said quietly, a million or so emotions crossing her face.

"Just brought him in? _Just_ brought him in? How long have we been here?" his eyes flicked between Kono and Danny, again, waiting for an answer.

"Almost two hours," Williams replied averting his eyes. Danny never averted his eyes, when he talked he wanted people to hear him. So, he kept solid eye-contact at all times. This was so unlike him. How bad was Chin when they brought him in?

"It took rescue teams two hours to...?" Steve trailed off, wetting his bottom lip. He took a deep breath and asked the one question he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer to. "How's he doing?"

Danny cleared his throat, running his hand across the back of his neck. "Honestly, we don't know, yet."

Steve glanced at the ceiling, chuckling humorlessly. "You know, I one time yelled at a Lieutenant for making the same mistake I did. I mean, he should have seen it was a trap, we're trained to know, but he didn't see it..." he trailed off, quietly saying, "I didn't see it.

"I just wanted this case over with and I didn't think about..." McGarrett pounded his uninjured arm's fist into the bed. "I'm sorry you guys. I am so sorry." his vision blurred a second, probably just his concussion, before snapping back into focus.

"Steve," Danny started pulling a chair away from the wall to sit next to him, "it's called sleep deprivation for a reason. Your mind doesn't work like it's supposed to, you miss things when you don't sleep. And running on coffee and vending machine food wasn't exactly helping. I'm surprised you didn't slip up sooner."

"Thanks for the pep talk, Danny, but I know all that already. But, hell, I used to be able to function on three hours of sleep..."

"Yeah, when you were in the Navy and had to be up at all hours of the night," Williams interrupted throwing his hands out. "This job, Five-0, you actually get set hours. A chance to sleep, even if it's five or six hours. I know the governor wanted this case wrapped up quickly, but I doubt she wanted you running on fumes to do it."

"So, it's still my fault..."

"Boss, it's only your fault for working too hard. If we'd have tried to stop you..."

"I did," Danny pointed out.

"...or questioned the call..."

"Once again, I did."

"...or refused to go. This might not have happened, either," Kono finished pretending as if Danny hadn't been speaking. "But we chose to go with you."

"Yeah, and you also trusted me to get you out in one piece. And I let you all down. Those bastards tricked us, and I didn't see it coming." Steve was aware he had pointed out his simple-mindedness a few times, but it was the one flaw that screwed everything up. It was worth being pointed out over and over again.

"Then I guess we've gotta find those bastards and let you hang them off a building or something," Danny said with a shrug. "And what better way than to finish the investigation."

"How? We don't have any leads," Steve said meeting Danny's eyes.

"We have that phone call. Maybe we can pinpoint where it was made. Whether or not it was made on a pay phone or a disposable cell phone. Come on, it's worth a shot."

Steve nodded, a part of him pretty sure it wouldn't work. But Danny was right, it was worth a shot. And if there was a chance it got them closer to their attackers, why not take it? Besides, if it kept Danny from bitching him out, for the time being, it was also worth the risk.

"Fine, but you have to get me out of here..."


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks so much for the reviews, alerts, and just plain reading. You guys are awesome and I really can't thank you enough.**

**Anyway, this chapter was hard to write. I kept omitting stuff, adding it back in, omitting, adding... You get the picture. But finally I have this. I hope you enjoy it and let me know what you think. Chapter four should be up (fingers crosses) before the end of the week. Unless I end up rewriting it seven-thousand times.**

**Well, I'd better go. I own nothing and see ya in the next chapter**

**Bye...**

**5-0 5-0 5-0**

Steve had gotten his way. After a ten minute argument with his doctor, preceded by a seven minute bicker session between him and Danny, he was sitting in the waiting room filling out release forms.

Kono watched him from the corner of the room, trying to keep her mind off the fact that Chin was still being worked on. As a group, she, Danny, and Steve had decided to stay at the hospital until they learned more about Chin's condition. None of them, however, knew whether or not Kelly was still in the ER or if he had been moved to the OR. Or why he would need an OR. Or if he were…

_No, _Kono silently berated herself,_ don't think like that. He's going to be okay. He has to be okay._

She scrubbed her hand across her face, trying to catch any stray tears, just as Danny sat next to her. "Do you wanna take a walk?" he asked slowly. "Because I found the nurse's break room, and there was actual coffee and not the piss they give us. Maybe we could sneak some."

Kono gave him weak smile and asked, "What about McGarrett?" she nodded toward her boss, who had just lowered himself into a chair after dropping off his release forms.

"Let him drink the piss," Danny replied grinning.

"What happens if he tries to follow?"

"We run," Williams said with a shrug. He leaned in and whispered, "Gimpy won't be able to keep up." Kalakaua chuckled once then nodded.

Both stood, moving past McGarrett. He flashed them a questioning look, but didn't move to get up. In fact, when Danny and Kono turned the corner she watched as Steve sank deeper into his chair and closed his eyes.

"They say waiting is the hardest part," Danny said slowly getting her attention.

"Who's 'they?'"

"Old folks, weirdoes, classy people… Who knows really?" Kono smiled at his reply. Danny chuckled, shaking his head. "You know before becoming McGarrett's partner I probably spent a total of fifty hours in a hospital my whole life. Now it's like fifty hours per month, half of which is for my own injuries."

"Funny, I thought you'd say something along the lines of 'fifty hours per week'," Kono said crossing her arms.

"That's pushing it," Danny replied digging his hands in his pockets. "Even McGarrett takes weekends off… usually."

Kono smiled again, shaking her head. They stopped outside the break room, dawdling while a nurse made popcorn. When the microwave dinged, she collected her bad and headed out of the room, back to her post. Once they were sure she wasn't looking Danny turned to Kono and said, "You be look out. How do you take your coffee again?"

"Two creams…" Kalakaua trailed off when she noticed the smile on Williams' face. He knew exactly how she took her coffee. She smacked his arm seconds before he could hurry into the break room.

Kono leaned against the wall, watching as people walked by. She glanced over her shoulder, watching as Danny poured a good portion of coffee into a Styrofoam cup, and turned to look ahead only to freeze. Malia Weston was heading toward her. _Crap._

"Hey Malia," she said when Chin's ex was in earshot. Malia was not Kono's favorite person. It was bad enough nearly the whole family abandoned Chin Ho after his frame up, but to see the woman, who had promised to spend the rest of her life with him, up and leave… It just wasn't right.

Of course, Kono didn't know what all had gone down between Malia and Chin, but whatever did, it ended with them broken up. And Kono blamed Malia.

"What are you doing here?" Malia asked. She gave Kono a once over, a worried look crossing her face as she said, "Why are you hurt?"

"You're a doctor. Why don't you find out?" yes, Kalakaua was mildly pleasant to Malia when Chin was around, but today she just didn't have the patience for her cousin's ex.

"Where's Chin?" Kono didn't reply. "Is he okay?" she still didn't say anything. "C'mon, Kono, tell me."

"Honestly, Malia, I don't know. Besides, why do you care?" a hurt expression crossed Malia's face, but Kono really didn't give a damn.

"I almost married Chin, Kono. I do care…"

"'Almost' being the operative term." Kono sniffed, averting her eyes from the scowl on Malia's face.

"Kono, what's going on?" Danny said from behind Kalakaua. She turned to see the Jersey native holding two cups of steaming coffee, an inquisitive look on his face.

"Nothing, we're done." Kono stalked away from Malia, Danny rushing to catch up.

"Who was that?" Williams asked curiously.

"Chin's ex," Kalakaua replied stiffly.

"I take it you don't like her."

"Am I that obvious?" Danny nodded. "It's just, she claims she loves Chin, but breaks it off the moment things get too heavy. When he needed her the most…" Kono trailed off, looking at the floor. "And Chin's never bitter toward her, the woman who broke his heart."

"Rachel left me three days after I got shot," Danny said quietly. They walked past McGarrett, who was snoring softly in his chair, head resting against the wall.

"Why would she do that?"

"She told me she couldn't do it anymore. Couldn't sit up waiting for the phone call that told her I was dead." They sat down, Danny offering Kono one of the coffees he held. "So, I let her go. Every moral fiber screamed at me to hold on to her, but I knew it was a lost cause. She had been looking for an excuse to leave, and I unintentionally gave her one."

They were quiet for a few seconds, Kono taking in Danny's story. Then she glanced at him and asked, "Do you still love her?" Several emotions crossed his face, each one too fast for Kono to indentify. He took a deep breath, met her eyes, and said, "That's a question for another time."

They fell silent again, Kono taking a sip of her coffee while Danny stared into his cup. There was no doubt he still loved his ex. He and Rachel may butt heads sometimes, okay almost all the time, but Kono could see, in his eyes, how he really felt. It was sad, how he had never really let her go.

"I wonder how pissed he'd get if I woke him up?" Danny's voice yanked Kono from her thoughts. She glanced at him, wondering who he was talking about. She followed his gaze, feeling a smile tug at her lips.

Steve's mouth hung open, his head now resting on the back of the chair. If he slid any deeper into his chair he would be on the floor. As peaceful as he looked now, Kono had a feeling he'd be more sore when he woke up.

"Do you have a stick?" Kalakaua questioned curiously.

"I have a coffee stirrer." Danny held up the brown, plastic stirrer he had grabbed earlier. "But I think throwing it at him would be safer." Kono snorted, shaking her head. She looked away from Steve, noticing a doctor heading toward them.

"Danny," she said quietly, gesturing toward the doctor. He nodded, standing when she did. He crossed the room, lightly placing a hand on Steve's shoulder. McGarrett stirred, opening his eyes. Williams jerked his head toward the doctor, Steve straightening at the sight. Slowly and painfully he pushed himself to his feet.

"Are you Chin Ho Kelly's family?" the doctor asked, his nametag reading Ioki.

"Yeah, I'm his cousin," Kono responded stepping forward. She felt Steve and Danny move to stand directly behind her.

"I'm not going to beat around the bush, I fixed a lot of damage." Kono tried her hardest not to flinch. "He had six broken ribs and his left shoulder had been dislocated, but those were relatively easy to take care of. His left knee was pretty messed up, but some therapy should take care of any lasting damage. He had a couple first degree burns to his hands and arms, and a second degree burn to his side. But what worries me the most was the concussion and the smoke inhalation he suffered. His brainwaves, however, were strong so there is hope he will wake up soon."

"But… but there's a chance he won't?" Kono whispered hugging herself. She felt two different hands settle on her shoulders.

"Barely a chance," Ioki said quickly. "I'm positive he will wake up.

"If you want to see him," he continued looking directly at Kono, "I'll take you to him." She turned to Steve and Danny, both gesturing for her to go, and proceeded to follow Ioki.

A part of Kono was afraid to see Chin, afraid at what she'd find. But another part knew she had to see him, just to prove that he was okay. Or as okay as he could be after what had happened.

Ioki left Kono outside the ICU. She hesitated for a second, heart thudding in her chest, and then grabbed the knob and went inside…

**5-0 5-0 5-0**

_The pain was gone, but the darkness still lingered, still kept a tight hold on him. For a while he had heard muffled voices, but they had long since gone. He was alone again. He hated being alone._

"Hey Chin." _Familiar. The voice sounded familiar. Where had he heard it? "_We're going to find these bastards. You just concentrate on getting better, waking up. Okay?" _he felt something touch his forehead, had almost escaped the darkness, until the voice said, _"See ya later." _He tried to call the voice back, to stop her from leaving, but the darkness wouldn't allow it. Then he was alone again…_

**5-0 5-0 5-0**

It was about fifteen seconds after they reached the entrance when Danny realized they had no way to get to HQ. All of their vehicles were back at the crime scene, each one having taken an ambulance to the hospital.

"How are we getting out of here?" he asked both Kono and Steve. Kalakaua shrugged, McGarrett didn't respond. "I guess we could call a cab." Again, Kono shrugged, and Steve neglected to answer. "Hey, are you even…" _he can't hear you, dumbass,_ Danny reminded himself trailing off. The Jersey native slowly moved to Steve's right and said, "Hey, we're getting a cab."

"Yeah, I heard you the first time," McGarrett responded meeting Danny's eyes.

"I thought you couldn't hear…" Williams took a deep breath, "Then why didn't you answer me?"

"First off, I do have another ear, and you aren't exactly the quietest person on the planet," Steve replied quickly. "And second," an uncertain look crossed his face, "should we be leaving Chin alone? I mean, is a police guard enough?"

"Boss, we aren't much help to him here," Kono started quietly. "At least, back at HQ, we can try catching whoever did this to us. And the head nurse did promise to call if he woke up or his condition changes."

"Yeah. Besides, three heads are better than two. We can get more done," Danny said quickly. "Especially if we have to split up. So, think about that," Williams gestured to nothing, signifying his words, "while I get a cab," he pointed behind him. Then he held up two thumbs, "Okay?"

"You are going to poke someone's eye out one day," Steve commented straight faced.

"I'm getting a cab," Danny grumbled glaring and trekked away from his partner.

It took him a couple of tries, but finally a cabbie stopped for him. It kinda reminded him of Jersey or the two trips to New York he took… God, he missed home sometimes.

The ride to the crime scene was completely silent. Kono sat against the door, knees drawn up, staring at the floor while McGarrett busied himself with his phone. Danny opted to watch the scenery fly by, his mind on several different things.

First, he hoped Chin was going to be okay, mostly for Kono's sake. He'd hate to see her if she lost him. Of course, he'd hate to see the whole team if _they _lost him. Chin was the voice of reason for the team, he rarely took sides. They needed him more than he'd ever need them.

He also hoped they caught these sons-of-bitches soon. Danny wasn't one to go all 'McGarrett' often (tying someone to his car was a onetime thing), but for these bastards he was willing to do almost (and he stressed almost) anything to make them pay.

But above everything else, and it puzzled him as to why he was thinking about it, was Kono's question from earlier: '_Do you still love her?'_ His feelings for Rachel had nothing to do with Chin or the situation, but they kept bugging him.

Did he love her? Did people really ever get over their first loves? Rachel was the first woman he had ever _loved_ loved. Yes, he had girlfriends before her, and he had 'loved' them, but he had never been as invested as he was with Rachel. He had wanted her to _like _him, love him, and be with nobody but him. Their love had been intense, and their break-up had nearly killed him.

There was no doubt he still loved her, but no amount of love was going to change the fact that she was with _Stan_ now. And even in a hypothetical world, where she had never met _Stan_ and they had never fallen in love and gotten married in Napa Valley, there was no guarantee she'd take him back. Hell, he wasn't even sure he really wanted her back. Why he was even thinking about it like it was a possibility was beyond him.

Besides, _Stan_ could give her everything she wanted: stability, money, safety. All the things she grew up with in England. What could Danny really give her? A few hours a week and weekends, the crap salary a cop gets, and the promise that he would _try_ to make it home. Ideally, and it hurt to even admit it to himself, _Stan_ was the best choice for Rachel. _Jeez, I need to get a hobby._

The cab eventually stopped next to their vehicles, the cabbie whistling at the bombing aftermath down the road. "Damn, by the looks of that I'd be surprised if anyone survived."

"Then be surprised," Steve replied darkly, throwing some bills at him. Kono opened her door, all three getting out her way. The moment she closed it, the cabbie took off. _Ah, another person who Steve has scared the crap out of._

"Okay, a couple of uniforms agreed to come by and get Chin's bike." McGarrett pointed at the motorcycle sitting against the curb. "Danny and I are heading to Kamekona's…"

"What about HQ?" Danny interrupted wondering when the original plan had changed.

"…to see if he's come up with anything," Steve continued as if Danny hadn't spoken.

"What about me, boss?" Kono asked making an effort not to look at her cousin's bike.

"I want you to head back to HQ, see what you can get on that phone call."

"Okay." She headed toward her car, sliding behind the wheel. The engine turned over and she was gone seconds later.

"So, let's go." Steve started to walk toward the driver's seat, but Danny made quick work in stepping in front of him.

"You aren't driving anywhere," he said quickly.

"Why?" Steve asked stopping.

"Hm, let me think." Williams put his finger to his chin. "Oh, yes, you can't hear out of your left ear," he held up a finger, "you have a concussion, "he held up a second finger, "not to mention the amount of blood you lost when you sliced your side open," a third finger went up, Danny gesturing toward Steve's side with his free hand. He then wacked himself lightly in the head and said, "Oh yeah, and there's the fact that I cannot afford to fix my car if you pass out and crash it." He fixed Steve with a hard stare and said, "So, give me the keys, Super Seal, and get in the passenger seat."

It was a sign of how tired and sore Steve was that he relinquished the keys without a fight. Danny decided to celebrate his victory later as he watched his partner walk around the car to the passenger side.

"Wipe that smug smile off your face, Williams," McGarrett grumbled lowering himself into the passenger seat, barely keeping a grimace off his face. "This isn't going to become a regular thing."

"Whatever you say, McGarrett," Danny replied getting into the driver seat. "So, what's the sudden interest in seeing Kamekona?"

"Just a feeling."

"A feeling?" Danny gave Steve a suspicious look.

"Yeah, a feeling. He might have heard…" McGarrett gave him an annoyed look. "Just start the car and go."

"Fine." Williams started the car, pulling away from the curb. If Kamekona was going to get them any closer to finding their attackers, and Steve had his 'feeling', then Danny would head that way…

**5-0 5-0 5-0**

Kamekona, as always, was happy to see them. He had been serving a younger couple when Steve and Danny walked up to him, and waved when he caught sight of them.

"Hey guys," he said when the couple walked away from his stand.

"Kamekona, please tell me you heard something," Steve said struggling to _not_ knead his aching forehead (he would kill for some Tylenol about now). They had stopped by earlier that week, but the big guy hadn't heard anything. He had, however, promised to keep an ear out for anything helpful. And Steve was willing to take anything if it got them closer to finding whoever tried to kill his team.

"Maybe I have," the big guy said, a small smile on his face.

"What do you want?" Danny asked his hand already reaching for his wallet.

"I have a new flavor I want you to try," Kamekona said slowly. "Go sit at the picnic table. I'll bring it."

As he disappeared in back, Danny said, "Shall we go sit?"

Steve sighed, running a hand across the back of his neck,"Might as well." They trekked toward the table, sitting on opposite sides of each other.

"You think he has something or that he wants taste testers?" Danny asked clasping his hands and resting them on the table.

"I'm hoping both," Steve replied fighting the urge to lay his head on the table. God, he was so tired and a nap sounded pretty damn good about now. But Chin needed them to finish this investigation, he could nap later.

Kamekona joined them a few moments later, setting two shaved ices in front of them. They were a deep, dark red with speaks of yellow mixed in. "Banana-Raspberry Twist," he said with a smile. "The twist," he lowered his voice, "it a pinch of Pina Colada." At his 'go ahead' nod, McGarrett and Williams took a bite.

"So?" it tasted alright, not exactly something Steve would eat all the time, but he still nodded as if he enjoyed it. Danny, however, put the spoon back in the ice and pushed it away. Kamekona's smile wilted as he said, "You don't like it?"

"I'm just not in the mood for shaved ice," Danny replied with a shrug. "So, what have you heard?"

"Why are you two so banged up and dirty?" Kamekona asked slowly. He obviously didn't want to be dragged into their problems, and Steve would love more than anything to keep him out of them. But the big guy had the best ears in Hawaii, he heard everything, so McGarrett opted to say, "It's a long story without a definite ending. We really need this info, Kamekona."

The big guy sighed and said, "I hear talk yesterday." He sat next to Danny and leaned in so he could talk quietly. "Two twenty-something kids. They were arguing about the plan. About how it wasn't going to work. Marquez didn't know what he was doing…"

"Wait, wait, wait Marquez? Do you know a Marquez?" McGarrett gave the big guy a curious look.

"One, Seth Marquez. He owns a floral shop about a block from the first bombing."

"Thanks Kamekona."

"No problem. That'll be five-ninety if you don't mind," Kamekona said smiling, gesturing toward their unfinished shaved ice.

They were back on the road a few minutes later, McGarrett already on his phone. Kono answered on the first ring, "Kalakaua?"

"Kono, I need you to do me a favor. Can you find out anything on a Seth…?"

"…Marquez?" she interrupted getting Steve's attention. Quickly he switched on his speaker phone and said, "Yeah, how did you…?"

"The call was made on a payphone outside Marquez's shop. And get this, it's one of two shops still open. The government has been buying up small businesses to build a shopping mall or something."

"Means and motive for these bombings," Danny said glancing at the phone.

Steve nodded in agreement saying, "Danny and I will check out this Marquez guy. Get back to me when you get anything on him."

"Do you want me to check on the other shop owner, too?"

"Yeah, just to be safe," Steve replied slowly.

"Sure thing, boss." She ended the call, McGarrett breaking the connection a second later. He turned to Danny and said, "Marquez is sounding more and more like our man."

"Yeah," Williams agreed. "Do you know where this guy's place is?"

"Kono already took care of that." She had texted the address. He entered it into his GPS, giving Danny the directions as they popped onto the screen.

They made it to the shop in no time, each one getting out of the Camaro. Steve made sure his gun was on him, Danny doing the same thing, and both headed toward the store's front entrance.

The door opened with ease, a little bell jingling above them. Nobody came to greet them, like usual, getting McGarrett's attention. Usually someone would be in the store, especially if the door was left unlocked. Steve noticed a slight flutter from the curtain leading into the back, cocking an eyebrow.

He motioned for Danny to take the left side of the counter, while he took the right. They split up, each one creeping toward the back. Steve pushed aside the curtain, the motors from several freezers buzzing through his right ear, his left still stubbornly silent. Other than the freezers, the back was empty. McGarrett made to turn around, but Danny touched his arm.

"Look," Williams said pointing. Steve followed his partner's finger, eyebrows furrowing at the sight. A body had been crammed inside one of the freezers, his face pressed against the glass. There was no doubt he was dead.

"How much you wanna bet that's the real Marquez," Danny commented slowly.

"It it is, who's posing as the fake one…?

**5-0 5-0 5-0**

**I was going to write a flashback for Danny's and Rachel's break-up, but I couldn't remember if Danny mentioned how long he's been divorced or not, so I took it out. Sorry. Maybe that'll become a one-shot for another time. :)**

**See ya...**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys. Thanks so much for the reviews, alerts, and just plain reading. You guys rock.**

**This chapter was fun to write, especially the ending, and I have to credit my brother a little bit. I may have asked him for a little advice. **

**Anyway, I have to admit, I'm a little mean to Steve at the end of this chapter. And I'm not sure if what happens to him would end the way it did in this chapter, but I didn't want to brutally hurt him or, heave forbid, kill him, because I need him for future chapters.**

**So, anyway enjoy. Tell me what needs work, what you think, or just leave a comment if you can. And I'll catch you in the next chapter...**

**I OWN NOTHING.**

**Peace...**

**5-0 5-0 5-0**

Kono smelt them before she saw them. Both stank of ash, smoke, and sweat. They needed showers and soap… lots and lots of soap.

"You're clean," Danny commented stopping next to her.

"I took a shower down in the locker room." It had been the first thing Kono did when she returned to HQ. She had wanted to wash as much of the bombing aftermath away as possible.

"You keep a change of clothes here?"

"You don't?"

Before Danny could respond, Steve cleared his throat and said, "Did you find anything on Marquez?"

"Yeah, I was going to call you before you came in." Kono tapped a few keys on the digital computer, a picture of Marquez popping up on the big screen. "Seth Marquez came to Hawaii sixteen years ago when he bought his shop in an online auction. For a few years he sold antiques, but when he got married he switched to flowers." A brunette woman appeared on the screen next to him. "Sera Blake is a Hawaiian native, and also named after Marquez's shop. So, I'm guessing she had a hand in the floral idea."

"She's also the sole owner of the floral shop, too," Danny muttered staring at the photo.

"What do you mean?" she gave each guy a curious look.

"Because Marquez was found dead," Steve replied slowly lowering himself into a chair. Neither Kono nor Danny said anything, but both noticed how bad McGarrett's leg was shaking. His sore ankle must have really been bothering him if 'Super Seal' was willing to sit down. "He was shot four times to the chest."

"Talk about overkill," Kono said quietly.

"Yeah," Danny agreed moving across the room. He pushed another chair toward Steve, parking it across from him. He wanted McGarrett to prop his leg up, but the chances of that were very slim. "So, did you come up with anything that would suggest who killed him?"

"Uh…" Kalakaua turned her back on the silent battle of wills. She had a feeling Danny was going to throw his hands up and just give up. She sifted through her research, wishing Chin was here. Her cousin was better at finding info they needed. He had contacts everywhere, could hack most databases, and also had several more years of experience to know what to actually look for. But Kono liked to think she did a good job. Chin would be proud. "Not really. I mean, he did a pretty good job in the floral business until last year, but still refused to sell his business to the government. He's also a huge financial supporter of P.A.G." she turned, a tad surprised to see Steve's left leg resting on the chair. Danny had a barely suppressed smirk on his face.

"P.A.G.?" McGarrett asked cocking an eyebrow.

"People Against Government. It's not a well known group, but they have been in the papers a few times."

"No, its leader has been in the papers a few times," Danny said folding his arms across his chest. "I arrested him a couple times when I first came to Hawaii. For mostly stupid crap…"

"Like?" Steve looked at both Kono and Danny.

Kono clicked a couple more keys, Marquez and his wife replaced by a thirty-something brunette. "Fenton Myles has been arrested for starting protests outside government facilities, handing out pamphlets about how the government doesn't care about the 'little man'…"

"…and pretty much making a nuisance of himself," Danny finished. He pointed at the screen and said, "He actually bit Meka once. Left teeth marks and drew blood. Meka didn't press charges, but what kind of a grown man bites somebody?"

Ignoring Danny's question Steve said, "Okay, and what did you get on the second store owner?"

"Myles _is_ the second store owner," Kono replied. "And get this, he owns a hardware store."

"So this Pag group could be behind these bombings?" Williams asked gesturing toward the screen.

"It's possible," Kono replied with a shrug. "We did suspect an anti-government group."

Steve slowly pushed himself to his feet, pushing both his chairs against the wall. He looked at Danny and Kono and said, "We thought someone was posing as Marquez, but maybe he was killed for something he came up with."

"Bergman did say he was only dead for a few hours," Danny said with a nod.

"Right, so maybe we should talk to Marquez's wife. Kono, do you mind doing that?" she shook her head, happy to get something done. "And Danny and I can go talk to this Myles guy. Maybe make an arrest."

"Or get shot at," Williams muttered. Kalakaua gave him a weak smile, McGarrett just glared.

As the two guys started toward the door, Kono called them back. "Just a suggestion," she started when they turned to look at her, "maybe if you take twenty minutes to shower and change you _might_ look a little more professional." Both guys glanced down at themselves, shared a look, and shrugged. They continued out the door, Kono making quick work getting the addresses before chasing after them.

An elated feeling rolled through her, she felt as if they were doing something productive. They could actually be one step closer to finding the assholes who tricked them, who had landed Chin in the hospital. And for now, that was what counted in her opinion…

**5-0 5-0 5-0**

Twenty minutes. Steve had given Danny twenty minutes to go home, shower, change, and get back to his place to pick him up. Williams had tried explaining it would take half that to get back to his apartment, the other half to get clean, and an additional ten minutes to get back after he was dressed. McGarrett was then nice enough to give him twenty-five minutes. _I should probably just turn around and take my chances at looking _less_ professional._

Danny, to his surprise, managed to make it home in less than six minutes. He threw open his Camaro's door, sprinting past several cars, including a Mercedes, to get to his apartment. His door was in view, his keys in his hand, when he skidded to a halt. _That Mercedes looked too familiar._

"Hey Rach," Danny said running a hand through his hair. He hated how his stomach always seemed to swoop and sink every time he saw her.

"Don't call me that," she half-snapped giving him a once over. She met his eyes, hers so much like their daughter's, and said, "Why didn't you call and tell me you were okay, Daniel?"

Very few people were allowed to call him the dreaded 'Daniel': his mother (and mostly it was followed by his middle name), his grandma Williams, Jameson (and only when he wanted something she could, or would, not give them), and Rachel (and mostly when she was upset with him). He hated hearing his full name, it always made him feel like he was twelve, and a little guilty.

_I didn't know I was supposed to._ "What do you mean?" he opted to play dumb toward Rachel's question. He had exactly twenty-one minutes to get showered, changed, and back to McGarrett's before the stubborn son-of-a-bitch started walking (the Seal's truck still parked in Danny's parking lot). Plus, Rachel's bitching was low on his list of priorities right now.

"This, Daniel." She shoved a paper into his hands. Danny looked down, a photo of a burning shack covering the front page; it's pieces littering the yard. The headline read: 'Five-0 Goes up in Flames'.

"This happened seven hours ago," Danny murmured skimming the story. "Why is it already in the papers?"

"I don't know, but it's on all the news channels, too. I had to convince our daughter to go to school today. Did you know Grace has been beside herself with worry for you? I even called you several times, but your phone just kept going to voice mail."

"Did you?" Danny checked his pockets for his phone, wondering why he didn't hear it, only to realize he had left it on his kitchen counter, on the charger. _And that's what happens when I'm rushed_. "I guess I didn't hear it." He pushed past his ex, unlocking his door.

He walked inside, tossing the paper on his couch. Rachel followed, her scoff not missed. "I'm glad to see you cleaned up," she said sarcastically. The shoe, he had tripped over earlier, still lay on the floor, some of Grace's toys littered his furniture, a few pieces of clothing littered the floor, and he was pretty sure the pizza box from that weekend was sticking out from under the couch.

"Look," Danny turned to look at Rachel, throwing his right hand out, "I've got," he checked his wall clock, "nineteen minutes to get cleaned up and back to Steve's before he hitches a ride here." He gestured around the room. "So, say what you've come to say, and get out." He pointed at the open door.

"Grace just wanted to know if you were okay," Rachel replied quietly.

"Tell her I'm fine, and I'll see her Friday." He even made a show of spreading his arms out just to show his ex that there was no lasting damage.

"Okay." She took another look at him. "Are you still seeing Dr. Bates?"

"Rachel…" he hated talking about his therapy sessions. It was bad enough Steve and Kono kept bringing it up a week after his first visit. '_Was he helpful?'_ '_Are you actually gonna go back?'_ They eventually stopped asking when Danny gave them the 'privacy speech' for the fourth time. Chin, on the other hand, mentioned it once and never asked again. At least he knew when to let it go.

"I'm just saying you look loads better. And Grace seems to enjoy her time with Steve. He's really good with her." _But not other people's kids._

"Yeah, the whole team likes her."

"And she likes them."

They fell into an awkward silence. It was rare for them to go this long without a disagreement or an argument. Danny glanced at his clock, he had around seventeen minutes. Then Rachel broke it by saying, "I'd better go. See you Friday."

"Yeah," Danny responded giving her an awkward wave.

She walked out of his apartment, but stopped before she could close the door. "It wouldn't kill you to get a bigger apartment."

_Ah, familiar territory._ "I'm not exactly rolling in the dough like _Stan_," Danny retorted drily.

"This has nothing to do with Stan," Rachel snapped. "This has to do with the fact that our daughter sleeps on a pullout bed."

Several responses rolled through Danny's head, a lot of them enough to spark a huge argument, but he really didn't have the time, so he took a deep breath, let it out, and said, "See you Friday, Rachel."

She was taken aback for a second, but recovered quickly and nodded. She closed the door behind her. Williams growled in frustration, shaking his head. He glanced at the clock, watching another minute tick by. He had sixteen minutes.

He showered in fifteen minutes, dressed in thirty seconds, and was out the door and back on the road at the twenty-five minute mark. He tried calling McGarrett, just to make sure he was waiting and not walking to Myles' place by himself, but kept getting his voicemail. _"This is McGarrett, talk."_ It was short and to the point.

Danny hoped his partner's other ear was on the fritz, the reason he wasn't answering, because he would hate to find Steve dead. Not that he would be dead, he could still be in the shower or something, but dead seemed to keep popping into his head. He had to think of something else, anything else, but the prospect of his partner being potentially dead just wouldn't go away.

Danny made it to Steve's in four minutes, almost beating his last record of three-twenty-four, pulling off speeds that rivaled Kono and Steve. Leaving his Camaro idling in McGarrett's driveway, Danny ran toward his partner's house. He threw open the door, intending to yell Steve's name until he came running, only to freeze when he found the SEAL asleep on his couch.

By the looks of it, McGarrett had showered, changed, and sat down to wait. He had probably been asleep for ten, fifteen minutes. Running a hand down his face, Williams quietly berated himself for jumping to conclusions, because even if someone had been waiting for Steve, the SEAL would have broken the man's jaw before he could pull anything. And to run into another bombing trap... Danny was pretty sure his partner learned his lesson.

An internal struggle cropped up in Danny's head. As much as he wanted to keep Steve asleep (the giant needed it), he knew he couldn't. Because when McGarrett woke up, he was just going to walk to Danny's, get his truck, and track down the Jersey native just to kick his ass for leaving him asleep. And though Williams had been in a few fights in his lifetime, some with men a good foot taller than him, he had a feeling McGarrett could probably kill him with his little finger if he should choose to. And, no, he was never going to admit to Steve McGarrett that notion either.

"Hey Steve," Danny called. He silently crossed the room, grabbing McGarrett's uninjured arm to shake it. Williams wasn't sure whether it was a lingering dream, a SEAL thing, or the fact that he startled a six foot, two-hundred plus pound guy who knew karate. But what happen next was totally unnecessary.

When he had touched Steve's arm, the dark haired man's other arm shot out, pegging Danny in the stomach. As the air rushed from Williams' lungs, McGarrett sat up holding his arm.

"What… what the hell," Danny gasped out coughing, backing into Steve's recliner to keep himself standing.

"Didn't you just leave?" Steve grumbled pushing himself to his feet, rolling his shoulder to help the pain.

"Just leave? _Just_ leave? McGarrett I'm five minutes late." Williams felt like he was going to puke, taking a deep breath to keep his stomach contents in his stomach, where they belonged.

"Huh," McGarrett muttered looking at his watch.

"Huh? You also just sucker punched me, you gonna say 'huh' to that, too?"

"Well, you startled me." Steve stumbled toward the kitchen. "Sorry," he called, the sound of opening drawers soon followed.

Danny pushed away from the recliner, following the SEAL into the kitchen. Williams watched as his partner dry swallowed three Tylenol, throwing the bottle back into the drawer. He moved toward Danny, the Jersey native using all his willpower not to flinch. His stomach was still sore.

"You ready?" Steve asked pushing passed Williams.

Taking a deep breath, wondering if he had a bruise, Danny said, "Yeah," and quickly followed his partner…

**5-0 5-0 5-0**

Kono stopped in front of a yellow beach house. There were several flower gardens surrounding it, an array of reds, oranges, yellows, blues, and purples livening up the yard. She got out of her Cruze, slowly trekking up the path to the front door. When she knocked, she heard a dog start to bark. It took a couple more seconds, but soon the outline of a woman appeared and the door opened.

"Yes," Sera Marquez said curiously.

"Hi, I'm Officer Kono Kalakaua," Kono said showing Sera her badge.

"What's this about?" Marquez's wife asked closing the door as she stepped outside. "Is this about Seth? He didn't come home last night? Did you find him?"

"Mrs. Marquez, we did find your husband this morning," Kalakaua said slowly, trying to keep her face expressionless, but knowing she did a horrible job.

"Was he okay?" Marquez's wife already knew the answer, fear and sorrow etched in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Mrs. Marquez."

Trying to hold back tears, Sera managed to choke out, "How… how did it happen?"

"He was shot," Kono replied grimly. Sera slowly shook her head back and forth. "I was wondering if your husband had any enemies; more specifically enemies toward P.A.G."

"S…Seth didn't participate in P.A.G. That was my project, I started it with Fenton."

"As in Myles?" Sera Marquez nodded. _Maybe these guys killed the wrong Marquez, then._

"Mrs. Marquez, does P.A.G have any enemies? Maybe one of them mixed you and Seth up or something."

"Not that I know of. Seth didn't fully support my involvement with the group. In fact, I haven't been to a meeting in a few weeks." Kono had caught her in a lie, the woman's eyes were worse than Danny's.

"Are you sure?" Kalakaua pressed, hoping to get her to tell the truth. Kono had a feeling Steve would do something more subtle, get Sera to confess, but the rookie wasn't Steve McGarrett. She wasn't skilled in dark looks and threatening voices.

"Yes I'm sure. Now, if you'll excuse me, Office Kalakaua. I have to make some phone calls." Sera made to go back inside, but Kono grabbed the door to stop her. She may not be McGarrett, but she could try channeling him.

"Mrs. Marquez, I know you're lying," she started quietly, "but I can't prove it. Just remember, I'll be watching you." Letting the words sink in, noticing a flash of fear in Marquez's wife's eyes, Kono slowly turned and walked back to her Cruze.

"Wait!" Kalakaua stopped, turning to see Sera Marquez running toward her. "I may have gone to a meeting a few days ago. Myles was talking about some plan, but I left before he revealed it. The way he was talking scared me."

This time Kono wasn't sure whether or not Sera was lying, the woman's eyes were more guarded, so she opted to nod once. She handed a card with her number on it, telling Marquez's wife to call if anything else came up. Then she got back in her Cruze and slowly pulled away. Something was off about Sera Marquez; Kono just didn't know what…

**5-0 5-0 5-0**

Steve's head had been killing him since he woke up on his couch. He had thought that Tylenol would have helped, and it did, just not enough. When he was sure Danny's head was turned, he ran both his hands across his face. It was a persistent throb behind his eyes, the sunlight not helping. It also didn't help that loud noises sent a spike of pain through his left ear. He'd much prefer his hearing to come back with quieter noises and work its up to the louder ones.

"Why didn't we check this hardware store earlier?" Danny asked startling Steve. He glanced over at his partner, the Jersey native's eyes glued to the windshield as he drove.

"I think Chin and Kono did, but the place was closed," Steve replied closing his eyes when his vision blurred slightly. When he opened them, he could see crystal clear again. God, he hated having concussions.

"Wouldn't that be their first clue that, I don't know, someone could be making bombs?" Danny asked looking at Steve.

"I think they thought it was one of the places that closed down," McGarrett responded as a wave of nausea rolled through him. He forced himself to breathe through the wave, the churning in his stomach settling slightly.

The rest of the drive was in relative silence, the Camaro eventually pulling up to an apartment complex that made Danny's place look like the frigging Hilton. Steve couldn't help commenting, "Hey, it looks like your place has a brother."

"Yeah, I'm laughing on the inside," Danny responded as both guys got out of the car. They started toward the entrance, the interior almost hotter than outside. "Hey, at least my place has central air," Williams grumped as the door closed behind them.

Steve chose not to answer, the heat not helping him in the slightest, and started up the steps. About halfway to the fourth floor, he froze looking around, counting doors.

"What?" Danny hissed behind him.

"Go stand near the fire exit," McGarrett replied quietly.

"Why? Is it another 'feeling'?" Williams waved his hands in a mystifying like manner.

"Just go do it," Steve snapped turning to face him.

"Bossy," Danny said pointing at Steve. He then turned and headed back down the stairs. McGarrett waited until he was one-hundred percent sure Williams was outside before continuing up the steps.

He stopped outside Myles' apartment, took a deep breath to push all his pain, nausea, and fatigue away, and then knocked. The door opened a crack, the chain stretching to keep him out, revealing a dark, brown eye. "Who is it?" a man's nervous voice asked.

"Fenton Myles, I'm Commander Steve McGarrett from Five-0." Just as he suspected, the words were barely out of him mouth before Myles ran away from the door. Rolling his eyes, Steve kicked the door in and chased after him as he headed toward the fire escape window.

Fenton knocked a lamp over, into McGarrett's path, Steve managing to easily get over it without tripping. Myles scrambled out the window, Steve right on his tail. They clattered down the metal stairs, each step sending a spike of pain through McGarrett's ankle and up his leg. He pushed to pain to the back of his head and pushed on.

They ended on the second floor platform, eight or nine feet from the ground, the ladder leading down still up. Myles had been trying to lower it, but Steve managed to yank him away. An elbow shot out, slamming into McGarrett's hurt side. A blinding pain spread through him, his vision graying for a second. He shook his head to clear it, once again pulling Myles away from the crank. Both guys ended up close to the railing, Myles panicking.

He threw his body weight at Steve, just as a wave of dizziness rolled through the SEAL, and both flew over the railing. As they fell two things occurred to McGarrett. One: the kid was way too young to be Fenton Myles. And two: he was going to hit the dumpster.

**5-0 5-0 5-0**

Danny watched in stomach, clenching horror as Steve and Myles (or not Myles because Danny couldn't be sure) fell over the railing of the fire escape.

"Holy crap," he exclaimed jumping back as both guys collided with the dumpster. Myles' leg managed to get caught in the dumpster's open side, the rest of his body dangling upside down. While McGarrett bounced off the closed side, landing heavily onto the ground.

"Steve!" Danny dropped down next to his partner, Myles strangled screams echoing off the two buildings.

"I'm alright," Steve groaned, eyes closed, speaking into the concrete. "Check on the kid."

Flashing McGarrett one last worried look, Danny pushed himself to his feet and stepped toward the dumpster. The younger guy's leg was messed up, some blood seeping from the appendage and staining his jeans.

"That's gotta be what, nine feet?" a breathy voice asked from behind Williams. He turned to see Steve standing, holding a hand to his bloody side, his left leg shaking so bad it was close to collapsing, looking above him.

"Yeah," Danny replied glancing up, too.

"Book 'em Danno," McGarrett muttered nodding toward the clearly incapacitated kid. Then he collapsed to the ground. Danny managed to catch him before he fell, the SEAL's full two-hundred pounds sending the Jersey native to the ground. Propping Steve up with his shoulder, Danny took his phone out and dialed.

"Yeah, this is Detective Williams. I need two ambulances." He gave the address, giving the lady on the other end as much info as he could. She said help would be there shortly, he hung up the phone.

"Hey, Steve," Danny said glancing at his partner. "At least this time you didn't do the tackling," he commented trying to push his worry and fear away. He glanced up again, not wanting to think what would have happened if McGarrett fell from further up or landed wrong. "You got lucky, Super SEAL."

Williams glanced over at the kid, who was trying to pull his leg from the dumpster. The Jersey native would have tried helping, if there was any way to help without causing any further damage. And what was the kid doing in Fenton Myles' apartment, anyway? Williams figured he was probably a diversion, Myles could be anywhere by now.

As sirens wailed in the distance, Danny glanced over at his partner, whose head lolled over on his shoulder. Being partnered with Steve McGarrett was like being partnered with a child. If nobody kept an eye on him he was bound to get into trouble. Of course, even if somebody kept an eye on him he'd get into trouble. McGarrett was a trouble magnet, end of story.

"You are going to be the death of me," Danny muttered just as EMTs joined them…

**5-0 5-0 5-0**

_He knew her voice well. He used to wake up to it in the morning, and hated the fact that he no longer got the luxury of hearing it every night before he went to bed. It hurt that he broke up with her, but it was the right thing to do. It gave her a clean break from him and everything he was accused of._

"I just heard." _She said quietly. "_Kono hinted you might be hurt, but she never outright said it. How could this happen?"_ she was quiet for a second. "_You've got to wake up, Chin. You're needed by a lot of people. Me included…"_ She trailed off, a beeping sounding in the distance. "_I've got to go, Chin, somebody fell from a fire escape. But I'll be back." _Something squeezed his hand and then she left. He missed her the moment the door closed, he couldn't help it…_


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks so much for reading, reviewing, alerting, and/or just plain supporting this. I really hope to hear from you again.**

**Anyway, I am mean to Danny in this chapter. I couldn't help it. His time was coming. But that's later on.**

**So, please enjoy, I own nothing, and catch ya in the next chapter.**

**PEACE...**

They were arguing. Kono could hear them from down the hall (along with everybody else in the building). Eyebrows furrowed, she followed their voices, stopping just short of Steve's hospital room's doorway.

"You aren't signing out again," Danny snapped at Steve, the latter's legs dangling off the bed, the former's hands all over the place.

"Come on, Danny. We have a case. I can't leave it…"

"Yes. Yes, you can. Kono and I got this."

"I know, but you said it yourself. Three heads are better than two…"

"First off, don't quote me. Second, you fell nine," Danny held up nine fingers to prove his point, "feet. NINE! You could have died. You're lucky you didn't. I mean you _barely_ escaped with all your bones intact."

"But they are," Steve argued watching as Danny started pacing back and forth.

"Barely," the Jersey native snapped. He stopped abruptly, pointing a finger at Steve, "I am not going to explain to my daughter why Uncle Steve is in a body cast. So, stay here."

"You two are like an old married couple," Kono commented startling both guys. She chuckled as she stepped into the room.

"How long have you been standing there?" Danny asked raising his eyebrows.

"Long enough," Kono replied barely restraining a smile.

"What did you find out from Marquez's wife?" Steve asked before Danny could open his mouth.

"Don't answer that," Williams warned pointing a finger her way.

"Kono, I am your commanding officer," McGarrett reminded her.

"Don't let him intimidate you."

"I'm not intimidating her," Steve protested throwing Danny a half-glare.

"Let's walk," Kono suggested before Danny could open his mouth. "Get you two away from each other for a while."

"You promise to stay here?" Williams asked glancing at his partner.

"I can promise you I won't leave the hospital," McGarrett replied slowly, getting an eye roll from Danny.

"Fine," Williams relented and followed Kono out of the room.

The moment they were out of Steve's hearing range the floodgates opened and Hurricane Williams attacked. "Stubborn bastard. I swear his goal is to break every freaking bone in his body before he dies. And he could have come so fricking close. Three bruised ribs, a severely bruised hip, not to mention the fact that he ripped open his stitches. How anybody worked with him before us is beyond me."

"I heard he was a good Commander. Well respected."

"Yeah, you've gotta respect him. He could kill you if you don't," Danny grumbled jamming his hands in his pocket. He sighed in frustration and asked, "So, what _did_ you find out?"

Kono told Danny everything that had happened between her and Sera Marquez. When she finished he had a pensive look on his face, his bottom lip tucked between his teeth. "You really think she could be hiding something?"

"I don't think. I know," Kono replied slowly. "Her eyes weren't that hard to read. But when I caught her in a lie she tried hard to keep her emotions out of them. But damn it, I know she's hiding something."

"You need to stop hanging out with McGarrett," Danny commented shaking his head.

"What?" she asked taken aback, smiling slightly.

_"'I don't think. I know,'"_ he said in a bad imitation of her voice. "Steve would totally say something like that."

"Shut up," she replied lightly punching him in the arm.

Danny chuckled, "You're not the only one with a 'feeling', though. McGarrett's been having 'feelings' all day. Maybe you two are becoming psychics."

"Danny…"

"No, I mean you two can get a tent, maybe a crystal ball. You can talk like Ms. Cleo and have an infomercial…" he stopped when Kono clipped him in the back of his head with the palm of her hand. "Ow. Jeez, no need to get violent. I'll quit."

"Thank you."

They were quiet for a second then Danny asked, "Do you have someone tailing Marquez's wife?"

"Clauson, but I was thinking about taking his post after I visited Chin."

"Good idea, and…" Williams sighed, no doubt about to regret his next words. "…and take Steve with you. He's going to break out anyway, and I think surveillance will be safer than having him run around…"

"Danny, we're talking about McGarrett. Give us ten minutes and we'll probably be running after seven guys while simultaneously getting shot at."

"Good point. Maybe I should go with you and have Steve talk to the kid. We've got to know what he was doing at Myles' place."

"And if he tries any of his SEAL interrogation methods?" Kono gave Danny a questioning look.

"I guess we could…" Danny trailed off, tucking his bottom lip between his teeth. He sighed in frustration, again. "Ideally, and heaven forbid I make this suggestion, McGarrett should just stay here. Get better. But he won't. No. The only way we'll keep him here is if we have a nurse sedate him. And that could backfire, especially if he tries leaving all doped up. Then he might get hit by a car, and then land back here where he will try to leave with a mangled leg…" he cut off. "Oh my God, I'm putting too much thought into this."

"I'll say," a voice said behind them. "I usually like to be present when I'm being talked about." They turned, McGarrett leaning against the wall, arms folded across his chest, watching them.

"Why are you following us?" Danny snapped.

"I wasn't following you," Steve lied horribly. "Okay, I was, but come on. I can't stay cooped up in that room. It's too white."

"Too white? How can something be too white?"

"It just is."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"Guys," Kono cut in before Steve could open his mouth. "What are we going to do about the case?"

Both glanced at her, shared a look, then Steve pushed away from the wall and said, "Kono, since Marquez knows you I don't think you should be tailing her. She might recognize you. So, why don't you find out if forensics found anything useful at Myles' apartment? Maybe something about this plan."

"What plan?" Kono asked looking between the two guys. Danny gave her a quick rundown of what Kamekona had told them. When he finished she said, "Do you think they meant Sera and not Seth?"

"Possibly, but Kamekona had said they said 'he', not she," Williams pointed out.

"Maybe the kids didn't know they were referring to Sera," Steve said slowly. He turned to Danny. "You said Myles has been arrested a few times, but what about Sera Marquez? Has she ever been arrested?"

"I didn't even know she had ties to P.A.G. until Kono told me."

"So, maybe she's a silent partner. Maybe Seth only gave money because of her. Or maybe she's the mastermind and Myles is doing her dirty work…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Danny said quickly, cutting the SEAL off by holding up his hands. "That's a lot of maybes. I think we should probably get more info before jumping to conclusions."

"Right," Steve replied nodding. "Okay, then we'll get more info. So, Kono head back to HQ, talk to the forensics guys. Also head to Myles' apartment, and see if they missed anything."

"Sure thing, boss."

"Danny, I want you to continue to tail Marquez's wife. Also find out where she's been within the last twenty-four, who she's been with, and anything else that may seem important."

"And you're going to question the kid?" Danny asked slowly, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Yeah. It was your suggestion after all"

Williams chose to not take the bait, surprising Kono. "Okay, but don't kill him, hurt him, maim him, or incapacitate him in anyway," Danny said ticking each off on his fingers. "We need him, McGarrett. He may know who killed Marquez. Remember, the dead guy?"

"Have a little faith, Danny."

"I would, if my partner wasn't known for dangling men off buildings, putting them in shark tanks, and pretty much trying his hardest to scare the piss out of them just to get his way."

"You tied someone to a car," Steve pointed out smugly.

For a second, Kono believed that Danny Williams had been rendered speechless, a rarity for the Jersey native, but thought better of it when Danny said, "I guess you're a bad influence." He walked away, phone in his hands, already dialing Clauson.

"He's right, boss," Kono responded with a small smile. She turned her back on her boss's disgruntled look, heading toward a bank of elevators. She pressed the up button, glancing over her shoulder to see Steve shake his head once and turn to follow her. Holding in a smile, she stepped onto the elevator and waited for her boss to join her…

**5-0 5-0 5-0**

Steve nodded to the guard standing outside the kid's room before opening the door and stepping inside. The kid was sitting up in bed, his heavily bandaged leg hanging above him. He had been flipping through the channels, but at the sight of McGarrett his eyes widened and he shut the television off.

"Hey man, don't hurt me," he said knowing he couldn't go anywhere even if he tried.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Steve reassured the kid, Danny's words still rolling through his head. Yes, they did need the kid, but that didn't mean he couldn't scare him a bit. "At least, I won't hurt you if you cooperate."

"T…the guard out front…"

"Is a friend of mine and won't report a thing if I tell him to," McGarrett replied, the kid paled visibly. Truthfully, Steve had no idea what the guard's name was, it might be Samuels, and really didn't talk to him much. He actually didn't socialize with many officers outside of HPD, his team excluded. _'That, Steven, makes you anti-social,_' he head Danny's voice say in the back of his head. Shoving the voice away he turned to the kid and asked, "What's your name?"

"Emery Myles," the kid replied quietly.

"Myles? Fenton's brother?"

"Cousin, actually."

"Okay Emery, what were you doing in your cousin's apartment?"

"I'm in town for a few days, visiting family. Fenton's letting me stay with him."

"If you're just visiting then why did you run?" Steve asked crossing his arms, giving the kid a hard stare.

"I… Look, dude, my cousin isn't exactly the greatest guy on the planet. He hangs with some weirdoes. I didn't know what Five-0 stood for, so I ran. I thought you were going to shoot me or something."

"Shoot you?"

"He's been arrested a couple times, but has never told me why. I figured he was a criminal." If Danny could hear this kid, he'd have a conniption fit. Of course, Myles could actually be a criminal. Murder was a crime after all. "Sorry, about tackling you off the fire escape. If I'd have known you were a cop…"

"It's fine," McGarrett responded resisting the urge to sit down. His hip was killing him, and he did realize how much he sounded like an old man. "Where is your cousin?"

"He told me to order a pizza, and he'd be home late. He was carrying plans."

"Plans? As in floor plans? For a building?"

"Yeah, but when I asked what they were for, he told me to mind my own business and slammed the door behind him." A worried look crossed Emery's face, "Is Fenton in trouble?"

"Not sure yet." Steve fell silent. The kid wasn't lying, that was for sure. He didn't know anything, and he wasn't going to be very helpful in this investigation.

McGarrett left a minute or two later, leaving his cell number in case Emery thought of anything else. As he heavily limped down the hall, he pulled his cell from his pocket. He hit two on speed dial, listening to it ring.

"Yeah," Danny answered on the third ring.

"So, Emery didn't know anything. How's it going on your end?"

"She hasn't left her place. This is the most boring stakeout I've ever been on."

"All right, I'm heading to you," Steve said and hung up before Danny could protest. He moved toward a bank of elevators, jamming the arrow button to call the car to him. When the doors opened he stepped inside, pressing the 1-button. As the doors slid closed, he leaned against the wall. He was sore and tired, worse off than his first week of training for the SEALs. He breathed deeply, kneading his forehead trying to staunch the ever present headache. He was beginning to think it wasn't _just_ his concussion causing the ache. A nap sounded good about now, but he couldn't afford to sleep. Not yet. Chin was still hurt, there was still a murderer on the loose, and they were no closer to finding the bombers than they were a week ago.

As the doors opened, Steve pushed all his weaknesses to the back of his head. He would push on because that's what he was trained to do. _Never give up, never back down, show no weakness. Never give up, never back down, show no weakness._ As long as he kept repeating that he should be fine…

**5-0 5-0 5-0**

Danny tapped his fingers against his steering wheel, glancing at Sera's place again. She still hadn't left, she probably wasn't going to leave in a while, and sitting here wasn't going to make her leave any quicker. To make matters worse, McGarrett was on his way. _But h__ey, Steve could make this more interesting_, he thought picturing a shootout, maybe a foot chase. Anything to get him out of his car.

Somebody knocked at his window, scaring him. Figuring it was McGarrett, Danny rolled the window down and said, "You couldn't just…"

"Step out of the car, nice and slow," a slow, deep growl said as a gun was pressed to his forehead.

"Just to warn you, I'm a cop," Danny said as he opened the door. He was about to grab his gun, but was pistol whipped before his hands could touch it. He fell from the car, slightly stunned, and felt more than saw someone take his gun and wallet.

"Detective Williams," he heard a woman say. "Yep, he's a cop."

"I know," the growled voice snapped and Danny was pulled to his feet. His mind took him back to the warehouse, Sloan holding onto his arms while O'Riley beat him up. He wasn't going back, he wasn't getting buried again. He started to struggle, his foot connecting with somebody's shin.

Danny was pistol whipped again, his struggles cut off. He was pulled across the sidewalk and shoved to the ground a few seconds later. The wind was knocked out of his when he landed, a sharp pain going through his hand as it skidded across the pavement.

He scrambled to his knees, shaking his head to clear it. He dove to the side as a fist flew at his face. Danny pushed himself to his feet, meeting the eyes of three guys. The girl was nowhere to be found. Each guy was a few years younger, a few pounds heavier, and a good foot taller than he was.

Danny lashed out at the closest one, a right hook to his jaw. As the guy hit the ground, the other two attacked. Williams managed to connect his elbow with the side of one of their heads, before the other's fist collided with his stomach. As the wind left his lungs a second time, he felt another fist hit him in the face. He fell back, colliding with a trashcan.

A foot connected with his side twice, hands yanking him up. He was hit, twice more, in the face. A third hit smashed into his head and he saw stars. Blindly he threw his legs forward, his feet slamming into the chest of one of his attackers. He elbowed the other one, feeling the hands let him go. A second later he was tackled to the ground, slamming into the trashcan once more.

Several hits met his face, another foot connected with his side. Danny lashed out again, his fist connecting with somebody's nose. He felt and heard the bones break. Something warm dripped onto his face.

He was pistol whipped again, harder than the first two times. As he felt himself sinking into blackness, he heard pounding feet approaching him. The next few seconds... or maybe it was minutes, hours?... were filled with hits, grunts, and shouts. Then two loud _thuds_ filled the air, followed by retreating footsteps.

"Danny," he heard a familiar voice call. "Hey, Danny stay with me..." instead of obeying the voice he passed out a second later…


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey, what's up? This chapter took a while to write, I got to a point where I didn't really like it and had to revise, but now it's done. And my s****enseless babbling is over...**

**Thanks so, so, so much for the reviews, alerts, and just plain reading and supporting this story. You guys are amazing and I hope I don't disappoint in the chapters to come.**

**So, please enjoy this chapter, let me know what's good and what's not, and I'll catch ya in chapter seven.**

**I will never own this show, no matter how much I beg.**

**Bye...**

**5-0 5-0 5-0**

Steve stood outside the interrogation room, searching for some lingering shred of control he had. Anger surged through his veins; his fists were clenched at his side. How dare they attack his partner? Danny didn't deserve that. Not after the crap he already went through. But as much as Steve wanted to put their heads through a plate glass window, he knew he couldn't. They could be useful.

Taking one final, deep breath he grabbed the knob and pulled the door opened. He walked inside, one of the two assholes sitting on the other side of the table. His nose was purple and swollen, a present from Danny. McGarrett couldn't help smiling internally, _well done half-pint._

"I want a lawyer," the kid snapped the moment the door closed.

"A lawyer isn't going to help the fact that you attacked an unarmed police officer," Steve replied slowly, his anger barely in check. Because Danny had been unarmed, whoever pulled him from his car had taken his badge and gun.

The kid opted to say nothing, resting his clasped hands on the table. Steve smirked, crossing the room. He sat down across from the kid, catching his eyes, "Look, kid. We could do this the easy way. You answer all my questions, all civil like, no arguments. Or, we can do this the hard. Or in my case, the fun way."

"Intimidating me isn't going to get me to say anything." The kid spat, his gray eyes flashing.

"What about tying you to the back of my truck?" the kid's eyes widened slightly, but otherwise he kept an emotionless mask. "You see, my partner left some rope in the trunk of his vehicle, from when he tied another man to the hood." He paled slightly, but still kept his cool. "And I was wondering when we'd use it again. I could tie one end of the rope around your ankle, the other end to the back bumper. Maybe book it down the road about seventy, eighty miles an hour." Steve used his hand to gesture speeding (he had to stop hanging around Danny). A flash of fear swept across the kid's eyes. "So, you get to decide. The easy way? Or the fun way? I'll wait." Steve crossed his arms, wondering how far he could push the kid before he cried.

"Easy way," the kid mumbled glaring at the table.

"Thought so. First question, who are you?"

"Wexler. Peter Wexler," the kid replied quietly.

"Okay, Petey, tell me. Why did you beat up my partner?"

"Honestly, we were supposed to take care of the cop sitting outside Marquez's place. So, it was dumb luck what happened to your partner."

"Dumb luck, huh?" Steve sniffed once, taking a breath. "Who told you to do this?" he already knew, but he wanted confirmation.

"Myles. He knew Marquez was being watched."

"Did, uh, did Myles specify which Marquez he wanted?"

"No, but we assumed Seth. He's always hanging around the meetings, seeing that we use…"

"Seth Marquez is dead," Steve interrupted slowly. "So, I don't think it was him." A surprised look crossed Wexler's face.

"Dead?"

"Yep, dead. Found him this morning in his store. Shoved in a freezer."

"Who… who killed him?"

"I was wondering the same thing. Did Marquez have any enemies?"

"No. He barely participated in our group. He mostly observed."

"Did anyone in your group have any problems with him?"

"No… well, Asher did."

"Asher?"

"Pomona Asher. She hates the fact that Seth's always hanging around the meetings. He never really shows much interest in our issues."

"And where does Pomona live?"

"No clue. She's not very forthcoming with her information." He was quiet for a second. "And she was with us when we…"

"…attacked Danny," Steve supplied testily.

"Yeah. She's the one who took his badge, gun, and wallet." It was a question McGarrett had been meaning to ask. When Danny had awoken, about a minute and a half after he passed out, he realized his wallet, badge, and gun were still missing. He hadn't been happy about it, and had shared his unhappiness with whoever would listen: namely Steve.

"And why would she do that?"

"I don't know, dude. She's weird like that."

"Sure, sure," Steve said slowly. "Who are the two guys who helped you?"

"The one who ran away is named Parker," Wexler said with an eye roll. "Always happy to break a law as long as he's not caught doing it. He'd betray his own mother to the cops as long as he doesn't have to spend the night in jail."

"And the one whose jaw is wired shut?" Steve may have hit the kid a lot harder than he realized.

"Jeremy."

"Jeremy…?"

"He never said his last name, but he's a quiet guy. Your partner just made him quieter."

"What do you mean?"

"Blondie took a shot at his jaw, thought I heard a crack when his knuckles met Jeremy's jaw." Okay, so maybe Steve didn't have a hand in breaking the kid's jaw.

"One last question: how deep is Sera Marquez involved in P.A.G?"

An uncomfortable look crossed the kid's face. He drew a breath, let it out, and said, "We aren't supposed to know this, but Sera Marquez is calling the shots. She wants us to believe Seth is… was making the plans while Myles put them into play. Hell, some of the newer members_ do_ believe she's just a silent partner, but the ones who've been there longer know better.

"I mean, she's the one who came up with the big plan…" it was evident he had said too much. Wexler paled slightly, his eyes widening.

"Big plan? What big plan?"

"I…uh…I want a lawyer."

"No, no, no. You were all for sharing a few second ago. What plan?" but the kid refused to speak. "Were you guys behind these bombings? Are they a distraction for something else?" the kid still didn't speak. Steve slammed his fists onto the table. "Damn it, tell me!"

"Commander McGarrett, threatening my client won't get him to answer." Steve turned at the voice, a familiar woman standing in the doorway.

"I wasn't aware he was your client, Mrs. Marquez," McGarrett responded slowly.

"Yes, and I do believe he's said enough. Now, if you have any more questions feel free to put them in writing and submit them to me. And if not, you can show yourself out."

"I'm not done…"

"Show yourself out," Marquez said coldly, her dark eyes flashing with impatience. She crossed the room to stand next to Wexler, who looked as if he might puke. Steve threw her a glare and slowly turned toward the door. "And don't think about listening in on our conversation," she said at his retreating back.

With his hand on the knob, without turning around, McGarrett said, "For someone who just lost her husband, you don't seem too broken up about it." He opened the door and walked out, closing it on her glowering face.

**5-0 5-0 5-0**

Danny hissed in pain, the alcohol stinging like crazy. Kono chuckled and said, "Why are men such babies?"

"Shut up," he grumped wincing again as she cleaned away some more blood.

"It's just alcohol, Danny. Stop acting like I'm torturing you."

"You are torturing me," he muttered under his breath.

Kono just shook her head and continued to clean his cuts. Danny knew he should probably be in a hospital, but if Steve could skip out on medical care, then so could he. Besides, it was mostly cuts and bruises, he had had worse.

The door burst open, a glare so fierce the whole precinct would be gone if it had the ability to kill plagued McGarrett's face. His blue eyes landed on Kono and he asked, "Why didn't you tell me Sera Marquez is a lawyer?"

"Because she's not. She works in a law office as a receptionist…" McGarrett tore out of the room. Danny jumped up to follow him, Kono on his heels. Steve punched the down arrow on the elevators several times, each hit threatening to break the buttons. When the doors opened he rushed inside, Kono right behind him. Danny took a breath and stepped inside before the doors could close.

McGarrett kept up a constant hammering on the B-button, the elevator not going any faster. They finally reached the basement, Steve the first one out, Danny and Kono behind him. They rushed toward the interrogation rooms, McGarrett almost ripping the door off its hinges to get inside.

The kid had his head down, looking as if he were sleeping. But Danny knew better, blood was pooling around him. Steve yanked his cell from his pocket, running out of the room.

"Start searching for her, she couldn't have gotten far," he snapped at Danny and Kono as he called to lockdown HQ. Danny headed toward the morgue while Kono sprinted back toward the elevators. Besides finding Bergman, playing his piano, there was no one. He didn't disturb the strange ME's playing, quietly ducking out of the room.

He met up with Kono who was shaking her head. "Steve's gonna have a field day with this," Danny commented slowly. "Is there any other ways out of here?"

Quietly Kono said, "Unless she knows about the way inside through the sewers, there are only the air ducts."

Danny glanced up at the air shafts above him, doing quick calculations in his head. Sera Marquez could easily fit inside that thing, if she tried. Hell, if Steve really put forth the effort he could probably fit inside, too.

"We've gotta get up there," a voice said behind them. They turned, McGarrett glancing at the air shafts, too.

"Well, Super SEAL, I'm not sure you'll be able to maneuver easily…"

"I'll do it," Kono volunteered without hesitating.

"Okay. Danny, can you get blueprints of the ducts while I help her," Steve asked following Kono toward an opening.

"On it," Williams replied and used the net on his phone to get the prints. He glanced over, noticing Steve boost Kono up. She scrambled inside, her phone in her left hand, and crawled away from them. McGarrett headed toward Danny, glancing over his shoulder at the plans that had just popped up on his phone.

"Okay, Kono," Steve said into his phone. "Head west, it should take you outside."

"Gotcha," came her voice from the speaker phone.

"There's a second way out," McGarrett commented pointing out vents leading east.

"Yeah and…" Steve's eyes met Danny's, the latter practically reading the former's mind. "No, no, no, no." Danny shook his head. "I won't… I can't…"

"You are letting a potential murderer get away, Danny," Steve argued trying and failing to sound patient. "Send me the prints and I'll help you up."

It was seven seconds of, 'you can do this', 'it'll be dark', 'you'll be fine', 'getting buried all over again', before Williams agreed. He sent Steve the prints and allowed the SEAL to give him a boost. He took several deep breaths, McGarrett saying, "You and Kono will be on three way call with me. Just listen to our voices, Danno."

"Shut up," Danny grumbled as he started to crawl, his phone resting between his ear and shoulder.

"Okay, Danny, you'll be coming to a fork, take the right," Steve said just as he said, "And Kono, take the next left."

Williams started humming to himself, taking a breath after ever note. It was helping slightly, getting his mind off the fact that he was in a cramped, dark space. "Is Bon Jovi helping, Danno?"

"Sorta," Danny admitted begrudgingly.

"Would you like Kono and me to sing it for you?"

"Can't boss, don't know his music," came Kono's reply.

"You don't know Bon Jovi," Danny balked. "It's only one of the biggest bands out of Jersey. I mean it's not the ukulele crap you Hawaiian's listen to…"

"Watch it Williams," Kono retorted in a faux-threatening voice.

"Take the next right," Steve said.

"Who?" Danny questioned stopping at the next fork.

"Kono. You take the left," Steve replied. "It should lead you up to the first floor and you two should meet up."

"Gotcha," Kono replied just as Danny said, "Okay."

Williams continued on, muttering the words to _Always_. He felt a wave of relief roll through him when he found the shaft leading up. He crawled up it, the shining light a Godsend, only to freeze when he heard a crash and a shout of surprise.

"KONO!" Danny and Steve said together.

Danny crawled faster, his phone falling from its perch and sliding back down the shaft. He spotted a dark figure trying to get out the first floor opening. Williams tried to grab the guy's, and yes it was a guy, foot but managed to miss it when the other foot connected with his chest. He fell back, colliding with the metal. The guy took the opportunity to run off, leaving behind a smear of blood.

Danny collected himself and tore out of the duct after him. Two guards tried to cut the guy off, but he fired two rounds into them, sending both to the ground. He then proceeded to shoot out the glass door, jumping through the opening. Williams scrambled out the opening, slicing his leg on a piece of protruding glass. He made it halfway down the steps when a car tore out of the parking lot, firing several rounds his way. He ducked behind a pillar, barely avoiding a bullet wound.

"What happened?" McGarrett exclaimed rushing to his side seconds later.

"You got a pen?" Danny asked ignoring the SEAL's question.

"What?" Steve was taken aback.

"A pen? I need to write down the license plate number."

"Uh…"

"Here," Kono said appearing at Steve's left, unscathed. She handed Danny a clicky pen, watching the car disappear around the corner.

"I'm not sure what's going on," Danny said scribbling the numbers on his hand, "but that was a guy, not Sera Marquez."

"What?"

"He's right, boss. That was a guy."

"And he left blood in the shaft. You're work?" Danny glanced at Kono. She smiled, nodding once. "Nice."

"Do you think Marquez was the distraction?" Steve asked looking between Williams and Kalakaua.

"Whatever she was we've got DNA and a license plate number. Let's see if that was Myles or someone else." Danny rushed back inside the now unlocked door, Steve and Kono racing behind him. At the moment he didn't care he was leaving drops of blood as he walked, or the fact that his leg was stinging like crazy and his chest hurt. They had a new lead, a better lead than earlier. This could be over tonight…

**5-0 5-0 5-0**

_The door opened, the footsteps were almost nonexistent. He heard someone take a breath and say, "_This could have been avoided."_ What could have been avoided, who did that voice belong to? He had never heard it before._ "But they just won't stop digging."

_ He heard a beeping start to fill the room, his ability to breathe diminishing drastically. Each breath became less and less until he realized he couldn't breathe anymore. He was going to die and no one was there to help him. He finally realized how Danny felt when he was buried, and it sucked._

_ Slowly the darkness started to surround him, to drag him away from the surface. He tried to fight it, but it was no use. It had him and it wasn't letting go…_


	7. Chapter 7

**I promise the action will pick up in the next few chapters. Thanks for sticking along this long and I hope to see ya in the next chapter. And for those of you who reviewed and alerted thanks big time and I hope to hear from you guys again.**

**I own nothing**

**Bye…**

**5-0 5-0 5-0**

Kono was waiting for one of Chin's contacts to get back to her on the license plate number while Danny was on the phone about the blood samples when Steve got the call. The SEAL, himself, had been running finger prints when his phone buzzed against his desk.

"McGarrett," he answered on the second ring. When the doctor spoke he felt his stomach clench in fear, worry, and fury. "We'll be right there." He hung up, slamming his phone against the desk. The crash wafted through his open door, getting Kono and Danny's attention.

"Boss?" Kalakaua and Williams rushed into his office, both giving him a cautious look. Steve stood, meeting both of their eyes. He took a steadying breath, pushed every one of his emotions to the back of his head, and calmly said, "Somebody tried to kill Chin."

"What?" Kono exclaimed her fists balling at her sides. Danny paled drastically, for once speechless.

"They've got the guy in custody. We have to go." McGarrett rushed out of his office, Danny and Kono steps behind him.

The drive to the hospital was completely silent. Kono's eyes were locked on the passenger side window, but she wasn't actually seeing the scenery fly past her. Danny's foot pressed down on the gas, his speed hovering between sixty and 'holy shit slow down' as he weaved around other cars. And Steve rested his head against the back of the car seat, eyes closed, trying to staunch another headache that was slowly creeping up on him. This was turning into one of the longest days of his life, and it was barely half over.

The hospital was packed when they all filed inside. Doctors, nurses, orderlies, candy strippers, pretty much any staff member that worked there stood in the front entrance. Cops held clipboards, checking off names, obviously trying to determine how the guy managed to get inside Chin's room without getting stopped.

"Clauson, what's going on," Steve yelled to the closest cop. "How did this happen?"

"Riggs swears the kid was an orderly. That he was just collecting something from Kelly's room…"

"Until the little bastard tried to kill him," Kono snarled from behind McGarrett.

"How did he try to kill him?" Danny asked quietly.

"Pillow over his face. The doc, Weston, managed to get him back. Said he wasn't under long enough for brain damage."

"Take me to the kid," Steve said relief and anger fighting for his attention. Clauson nodded and lead Steve and his team toward a bank of elevators.

"I'm going to see Chin," Kono said quietly when they piled inside. McGarrett made sure to keep an eye on Danny, knowing the shorter blond still had a thing about elevators. It probably didn't help that the Jersey native had to crawl through a dark airshaft, either. Worry for Chin must have trumped his fear, however, because the ride to Chin's floor didn't seem to affect Danny at all. Or he was just putting on a show.

The doors slid open and Kono was the first one out, running down the hall toward her cousin's room. Steve and Danny followed Clauson to a break room, the latter letting the formers into the room. He closed the door behind them, McGarrett recognizing the kid seconds after Williams.

"You're one of the assholes who beat me up," Danny spat angrily, his finger pointing at the kid.

"Parker," Steve supplied his emotions more under control than his partner's.

"I ain't saying nothing," the kid said quietly, eyes locked on the table, not that surprised they knew his name.

"That's exactly what Wexler said before he spilt his guts," McGarrett commented.

"And I'll bet he's dead, now," Parker said emotionlessly meeting the older guys' eyes.

"How did you…?"

"Because that's what you get when you spill P.A.G. secrets. A pine box."

"How many people have been killed?" Danny asked curiously.

"Not saying a damn word," Parker responded shaking his head.

"Look, kid, I give you about eight seconds before my partner here does something crazy," Williams stated slowly. "I mean, he's not exactly the most stable person on the planet on the best of days, and he hasn't had a good night's sleep in…what…a week. You'd be safer just answering our questions." The kid merely shook his head, his lips pressed together in a stubborn line. "I warned you, kid."

A butter knife sat on the counter behind the kid's head. Steve headed toward it noting Parker's visible flinch. The SEAL grabbed the knife, before slamming it into the table so hard it stuck, waving back and forth, the thing inches from the kid's right hand. Parker screamed in surprise, wrenching his cuffed hand away.

McGarrett leaned in close, smelling the sweat rolling off the kid, and whispered, "I know several different ways to cause you pain without drawing too much blood. It's something I don't enjoy doing, but have become very good at." Steve glanced at the butter knife, "Now, that thing isn't my usual type of blade, I prefer a Bowie knife if I can help it-not so dull-but I will use what I have to." The kid looked like he was about to puke. "That is if you don't cooperate."

"What…what do you wanna know?" Parker asked hoarsely.

"Who told you to kill Chin?" McGarrett asked pushing himself away from the kid, yanking the knife out of the table.

"I…um… Myles wanted you guys distracted. Chin?" Steve nodded in confirmation when the kid flashed him a questioning look. "Chin wasn't supposed to die, and he's not dead. I heard that doctor lady telling that cop."

"But you tried suffocating him," Danny said glaring at the kid.

"I…I didn't know what else to do. And… and I didn't know he suffered smoke inhalation. I didn't know he needed that oxygen mask to aid his breathing…"

"Were you born this stupid or were you dropped on your head as a kid?" Williams snapped. He threw his hands in the air, "Of course he'd need the oxygen mask. They wouldn't have given it to him if he didn't need it, dumbass." Danny continued to mutter under his breath, but Steve chose to ignore him.

"I…I didn't…"

"Calm down," Steve snapped the kid on the verge of crying. "Why did Myles want us distracted?"

"He…he," Parker gulped in a breath, "wants you guys to stop digging. He thinks you know too much. It was the exact reason he had that trap set up for you. He was hoping to get you out of the way."

"What a wonderful guy," Danny grumbled sarcastically, crossing his arms. "I mean, what better way to obstruct justice than blowing up the people hired to catch him." Williams uncrossed his arms and clapped once, "I applaud his effort."

"Danny, enough," McGarrett said quietly. He was silent for a moment then said, "How close is too close?"

"He told us if you did anymore digging you'd not only discover our group but also the plan." There was that plan again. Steve was starting to get tired of the frigging plan.

"What the hell is this plan?" Danny asked seconds before McGarrett could open his mouth.

"I don't know."

"Right," Williams muttered.

"Honestly, I don't…" Steve waved the knife at the kid. "I don't know. I don't. But I know who does?"

"If you say Myles or Marquez…"

"Asher. Pomona Asher," the kid said quickly eyeing the knife. "She's the third in command. She knows everything that happens."

"And do you know where she lives?" Steve asked curiously, already knowing the answer.

"No."

"But I do," a voice said behind them. They all turned, Kono standing in the doorway pocketing her phone. "Just got a call about that license plate, car's owned by Pomona Asher."

**5-0 5-0 5-0**

_The darkness reluctantly loosened its hold just as a door opened. At first he believed it was the guy from before, trying to kill him again, but changed his mind when a familiar voice said, _"I guess I'm on Chin guard duty, now. Hope you don't mind."_ Footsteps echoed across the floor, the heavy sound of someone sitting followed._

"I've never been on hospital guard duty. I mean, I've guarded people a couple times, and wasn't a huge fan of it. Of course, it was safer before McGarrett, boring even. He makes it… more interesting, I guess. And don't tell him I told you. If he knew I wasn't entirely against his antics he wouldn't let me forget it." _He was quiet for a second then said, "_Talking to an unconscious person isn't nearly as fun as it sounds. You know, that 'silence is golden' quote is a load of crap. Just letting you know."

_A ringing sounded, the voice saying, "_That's the lab. I'd better take it. Be right back." _It wasn't like he was surprised, they all seemed to leave, but the 'be right back' caught him off guard. They rarely came back. Maybe he wasn't destined to be stuck with the darkness; maybe there was a way to escape it. He just hoped it was soon._

**5-0 5-0 5-0**

Kono glanced over at her boss, Steve's head resting against the glass of the window. At first she thought he was asleep, maybe catching a catnap before they got to Pomona Asher's place, until he said, "Staring at me isn't helping you drive."

"Sorry," she said and looked ahead, maneuvering Danny's Camaro into the left lane. Steve's phone buzzed from his pocket, the SEAL sitting up and pulling it free. He read the screen and answered it switching on speaker phone, "Yeah, Danny?"

_"The blood had DNA from two donors. Peter Wexler and an unknown donor, but the fingerprints came back as Fenton Myles. So, we know Myles murdered Wexler_..."

"Okay, so we know he's a killer. Can you tell us where to find him?"

"_Hey, Mr. Cranky Pants, I am not a miracle worker_," Danny snapped losing what little patience he had had for Steve. _"I'm just filling you in on the blood and your finger prints. But you obviously don't care…"_

"Danny…"

_"…I mean if you did you'd be like 'thank you Danny for getting us this sample. We are so glad you have a contact in the lab and could get the results faster. If there is anything we can do…'"_

"Danny…"

_"'…to make it up to you, feel free to ask. And no, big, bad Steve isn't going to snap at you like the sleep deprived jackass that he is.'"_

"You done?" Steve asked rolling his eyes at the phone.

"_Yeah, and don't roll your eyes at me_." Danny's words took McGarrett by surprise, while Kono just snickered under her breath. "_Call me if you find anything useful_." And the Jersey native hung up before anyone else could say anything.

"I think you two hang around each other too much, boss," Kono commented going around a slow moving Cadillac. McGarrett didn't respond, just ended the connection and put his phone away. He glanced out the window, watching the scenery fly by.

Kalakaua let her mind wander as the car filled with an uncomfortable silence. They had almost lost Chin, she had almost lost Chin. And if it hadn't been for Malia they would have. _Damn it, now I have to thank her._

Not long after, the Camaro stopped in front of a green bungalow. Steve was first out of the car, Kono right behind him. He beckoned for her to go toward the back, while he crept up the steps. She didn't argue knowing most of McGarrett's hunches were right. And if Pomona was going to run, it'll be a safe bet she heads out the back.

From the front Kono could hear Steve's deep voice say, "Pomona Asher," as he knocked on her door. "Steve McGarrett, Five-0." It was quiet for a second, and then a crash came from inside and the back door swung open. It nearly took Kono by surprise, but she had enough warning to throw a punch at Pomona, sending her to the ground.

"You do know running is a sign of guilt," Kono commented pulling her cuffs from her pocket. She pulled Pomona's left arm around her back, snapping the cuff around her wrist. When Steve joined her a second later she was just snapping the right cuff in place.

"Why do they always run? They know we'll eventually catch them," he said shaking his head. Kono flashed him a smile and hauled Asher to her feet. She led the young woman to Danny's Camaro, 'accidently' shoving her in the cramped back seat.

"Hey," Pomona protested.

"Shut up," Steve and Kono said together before getting in the car. Kalakaua turned the engine over and sped off back toward HPD.

The ride was over fairly quickly, Steve instructing Kono to take Pomona up to his office. The interrogation room was technically a crime scene and couldn't be used until it was thoroughly searched and processed.

Kalakaua threw Pomona into a chair, leaning against Steve's desk to glare at her. Asher met Kono's eyes and said, "You can't hold me. You haven't got anything."

"Actually we have your car leaving a crime scene seconds after two of our officers were shot," Steve replied from behind Pomona. "So, we can hold you for forty-eight hours under suspicion."

"Hold me. I…"

"…won't tell us anything," McGarrett finished for her. "Now, where have I heard that before? Oh, yeah, the last two yahoos that we questioned. One of which is dead, by the way."

"Wexler had always been a big mouth," Asher replied coolly. "I kept telling Myles to get rid of him, but he never listened."

"Until today," Kono said slowly.

"Until today," Pomona responded with a nod. She fell silent, moving her wrists in hopes of finding some leeway on the cuffs. Kono flashed a smile, knowing there was no leeway. She had deliberately snapped them too tight.

"So, you aren't telling us anything?"

"Sharp as a bullwhip, McGarrett. That's exactly why Myles wanted you out of the way. Five-0 has an annoying habit of catching the uncatchable, stopping the unstoppable, and pretty much making a nuisance of themselves. He didn't want you stopping what he has in store."

"This mysterious plan, you mean?" Pomona's eyes flashed, but she didn't say anything. "I've been hearing about it all day, yet nobody will tell me about it." Asher shrugged, but still didn't say anything. Kono could tell her boss was getting frustrated, and was just waiting for-what Danny called-'Crazy Steve' to kick in, when his office door opened.

"Commander McGarrett," a female voice said. Both Kono and Steve turned toward it, surprised to see Sera Marquez standing in the open doorway.

"How did you get up here undetected?" McGarrett asked cocking an eyebrow.

"I need to talk to you," Marquez said quietly, ignoring Steve's question.

"You are suspected of aiding in a murder," Steve continued as if she hadn't spoken.

"I didn't help kill Wexler, I swear. I just needed…" Sera took a breath, clasping her hands in front of her. "Myles killed Seth, I had to find him. I thought, maybe Wexler knew where…"

"Shut up, Sera," Pomona snapped.

"How do you know Myles killed your husband?" Kono asked curiously, wondering why Sera hadn't mentioned it earlier.

"Seth threatened to tell the police about the plan. He got wind of where we were meeting up, but wasn't aware Myles set him up. Hell, I wasn't aware Myles set him up until I visited the aftermath of the bombing earlier today."

"So, the call…" McGarrett trailed off, holding up his hand to silence Pomona who had opened her mouth to speak.

"Had been legit. Seth wanted you guys to stop it, but he hadn't been aware it was a trap. For him and for you."

"What does that mean?"

"Sera, stop talking!" Pomona practically screamed.

"Myles planted the bomb to get you out of the way. While you were walking into your trap, Myles shot Seth." Tears pooled around Marquez's eyes, she ran a hand across her face to catch them before they could fall. "He…he shot my husband because of this s…stupid plan I made up years ago when I was drunk."

"And how do you know this?" Steve asked quietly, grabbing a package of Kleenex off his desk and tossing them to her.

"B…because Wexler told me. I asked him, straight out, if Myles killed my husband, and he said it was possible. He said that there had been a set up, that Myles had been planning on killing someone. And when I asked where Myles was, he told me he was at the place."

"What place?"

"Our hide out. Back of Myles' store. But when I went there, he wasn't there. I think he's doing the plan today, soon."

"What plan? When?" Steve hid his frustration well, but Kono could still see it in his shoulders.

"Sera shut your frigging mouth!" Pomona snarled, trying to get up. Kono pushed her back into the chair, nodding for Marquez to continue.

"Around the time we started P.A.G. I had made a joke about going after the governor. At first, Myles didn't take it seriously. Then the government started buying up small businesses…"

"So… So, Myles is going after Jameson?"

"Yes," Sera whispered glancing at the floor. "He's been planning this for months, has gotten his hands on every blue print of her house as he could. He knows who her security team is, when they switch shifts. He's… he'd wait until the next shift change to get in."

McGarrett checked his watch, his eyebrow furrowing. Rarely did Jameson work from home, she was usually in her office, but today must have been one of those rare days. The SEAL tore out of the room, Kono on his heels, calling for Scotty to take Pomona and Sera into custody.

He pulled his phone from his pocket, hitting two on speed dial. "Danny, listen. I need you to get to Jameson's place as soon as you can. Because Myles is going after her, that's why…"

**5-0 5-0 5-0**

Danny told the cabbie to stop a block from Jameson's mansion, then threw four twenties at him as he threw open the door. When he was a few feet from the cab, he heard the cabbie yell, "Hey, buddy, this is forty more than I need."

"Keep it," he yelled back and sprinted down the sidewalk. He wished he had his car, Kono and Steve on their way with it, but didn't dwell on it too much as he nearly passed Jameson's place. He flashed his badge at one of the guards, squeezing through the wrought iron gates before they could fully open. Maybe he had gotten lucky, maybe the guards hadn't switched yet. Maybe Myles hadn't gotten inside and the guards could get him before he could.

Danny knocked on the door, but didn't receive an answer. He knocked twice more before throwing caution to the wind and trying the knob. It turned easily in his hand, the hinges silent as he pushed it open. The foyer was bigger than his whole apartment. In fact, he was pretty sure the foyer was bigger than the three apartments next to his, too.

He walked through the ridiculously large entryway, into a ridiculously large sitting room. Nobody needed this much space, not even the governor. "Governor Jameson," Danny called his voice echoing off the walls. No one came running, not even a butler or maid. Either Jameson did her own cleaning (possible but not likely) or somebody had hushed the help. Or, Jameson just wasn't home and the help were slacking off without their boss's watchful eye. Williams seriously doubted it was the last one.

He walked down a long hallway, Jameson's office at the end. He opened the doors, looking around the book-filled room. The mahogany desk was empty, save for a mess of papers scattered across the surface and a laptop powered on. "Governor!" Danny called just to be on the safe side. He still didn't get an answer. He was about to leave, maybe ask the guards if Pat was even there, when he heard a clatter from above.

He removed his spare gun from its holster, creeping back down the hall to the spiral staircase situated in the middle of the sitting room. Danny crept up the steps, his phone already in his hands. His hand hovered over HPD's number. He thought about calling for backup, knowing Steve and Kono probably wouldn't be enough, but thought better of it. There was a chance it was just the maid dropping things, and Jameson wouldn't appreciate it if her maid was arrested. Plus, he didn't have the time to debate because if it was Myles then he could already be killing Jameson.

Danny put his phone back in his pocket, gripping his gun with both hands. He moved toward the crash, walking past paintings of people he clearly would never meet, even if he wanted to. He was about halfway down the hall when a second crash sounded, a scream ripping through the air.

Williams started running, crashing into a library much larger than the office downstairs. He glanced around, breathing heavily, noticing one of the bookshelves had been knocked over. Other than that there was no sign that anybody had been hurt. Whoever had screamed was nowhere to be found.

"Jameson," he stage whispered. A small part of him hoped she was just around the corner, trying to pick up the books from the fallen bookshelf. While a bigger part of him knew she wasn't going to answer, that bookshelf didn't fall over by itself, but he still tried again, louder than the first time, "Jameson."

"The Governor is a little tied up at the moment," an unfamiliar voice said from behind Danny, the door closing with a loud _bang_. Before Williams could turn around he felt something collide with the side of his head. He was unconscious before he hit the ground…

**5-0 5-0 5-0**

**I couldn't help myself; the cliffhanger was just beckoning me to write it. It's a sickness, I know, so please forgive me :P**

**Bye…**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey, thanks so much for reviewing, alerting, and just plain reading. It was much appreciated and I hope you enjoy this chapter. And drop a comment if you can.**

**So, please enjoy, I own nothing, and catch ya in chapter nine.**

**See ya...**

**5-0 5-0 5-0**

Steve was worried, Kono could tell. As well as he kept his emotions from plaguing his face, there was a vibe that rolled off him. She, too, was worried. Danny hadn't picked up the last three times McGarrett called, he hadn't called to tell them he and Jameson were safe. Hell, they hadn't heard anything from him since he agreed to check on Jameson.

Kalakaua parked Danny's Camaro out front of the governor's house, Steve already out of the car before she came to a complete stop. He rushed toward the guard shack, finding it empty. His eyebrows were furrowed as he searched the immediate area.

"Kono," he called and she quickly joined him. She froze next to a bushel of shrubs, a grim look crossing her face.

"Is that the guard?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah," Steve replied glancing around.

"Where's Danny?"

"I don't know." He turned, heading toward the house. He pulled his phone from his pocket, dialing quickly. "This is Commander Steve McGarrett," he said quickly into the phone as he hit the button to open the gate. "I need back up at Governor Jameson's house. Hostiles may be inside, along with the governor and Detective Williams." He hung up, stepping through the slowly opening gate. Kono followed him, both removing their guns as they headed toward the front door.

"When we get inside, I want you to…" Steve trailed off when a car pulled up to the gate. He turned, his eyebrows the only indication he was surprised. Kono turned too, following his gaze, and felt her stomach clench.

"Commander McGarrett, Officer Kalakaua may I ask why you two are at my home?" the governor had her car's window down, her driver giving them a cautious look. Kono exchanged a look with Steve, both glancing at the house. Either Myles had been pulling Sera's and their chains and didn't go through with the plan, or he hadn't known the governor was going to head out. Kalakaua had a strong suspicion it was the latter, but in the off chance that it was the former where was Danny…?

**5-0 5-0 5-0**

His head felt as if it had parted with his body when he came to. He opened heavy eyelids, the room blurring before they slid closed again. His head lolled forward, his chin resting on his chest. He tried opening his eyes a second time, managing to keep them open a few seconds longer than the first time. They managed to stay open on his third attempt, a small victory for the time being.

Very carefully he lifted his head, wincing when a spike of pain went through his skull. One look around the room told him he was still in the library. He was tied to a straight backed, wooden chair, situated in the middle of the room. The doors were blocked off by bookcases, and judging by the dimly lit room so was the plate glass window behind him.

He tried to glance around the room, see if the governor was okay, but the prospect of moving sent a spike of pain through his head and a wave of nausea through his stomach. So he opted to quietly call, "Governor Jameson!"

"If only she were here, Detective," a voice said from behind Danny. The lights kicked on, bright enough to send another stabbing pain through his eyes. His eyes screwed up in pain, his head throbbing in time with his heart.

"What does that mean?" Williams asked listening for any movement, hoping to pinpoint the voice's owner's location.

"Well, you see. I was all set to take her, until I got here and realized she wasn't home. Actually kinda bummed me out. Until you showed up. And I thought, at last, a bargaining chip."

"Too bad she doesn't negotiate with terrorists," Danny said remembering when Chin had been taken captive by Hesse. If Jameson wouldn't give money to save Chin Ho, there was no way she'd give her life for Danny's. And even in the off chance she agreed, some would try to talk her out of it.

"Who said I was going to give you up for her," the voice said just as Myles appeared in Danny's line of sight. "Maybe I just want out of this with my freedom and life intact."

"Why? Just so you can attempt this little escapade again?" Danny shook his head once, stopping when pain exploding through his head and his vision grayed slightly. When he was able to see again, he met Myles' eyes and said, "Even if you do escape this with your life, I doubt you'll get out of this a freeman. HPD doesn't appreciate the fact that you planned to kill the governor. Oh, and there's that little stunt you pulled with blowing up those buildings. Plus, you tried to kill the governor's task force."

"Too much?" Myles asked sarcastically. "Maybe I should have just rigged that bomb to kill you guys. But I thought, hurt them enough they might back off. If I'd have known how relentless McGarrett was…"

"Yeah, ain't it annoying?"

"You have no idea. How do you put up with it?"

"Well, it helps us catch useless losers such as yourself, so I really don't let it get to me." It was a small lie, most of the time McGarrett's laser focus drove Danny's nuts, but he wasn't paid to make friends with criminals.

"You think I'm useless? I'm fighting for the little man. They deserved their say in this. The government had no right to buy them out."

"Funny, it was only two of you who really fought what the government was doing," Danny commented testing the binds around his hands. The rope was tight around his wrists, struggling would only give him rope burn. And since his head was killing him, he really didn't want another injury to bother him. He was about to give up, hope for a better outcome than getting killed, when he felt the screw sticking out of the chair. If he just moved his hands…

"It's because the others were scared to fight for what was theirs. My group wasn't."

"And now they're all in jail, or in Wexler's case dead, and you're alone."

"Not quite. Who do you think killed the guard out front?"

"The guard was fine when I got here," Danny said perplexed stopping in his attempt at freedom for a second. He remembered the guy had opened the gate when he showed him his badge.

"That was the last of my crew. He's probably halfway out of the country about now." Danny made a mental note to get a hold of this kid's information, if… when he got out of this, as he continued to move his hands as subtly as possible. "Besides, aren't you the least bit curious how I knew to set you up? He had called me the moment you walked inside."

Danny's scattered, pain-filled brain dredged up some memories of his arrival. He had been in Jameson's office, he had heard the clatter above. He had ran upstairs, pulled his gun out, heard the scream and the second crash…

"That scream was you?" he met Myles' eyes again. The dark haired man smiled once, pulling a small tape recorder from his pocket. He hit play, a familiar scream echoing through the room. "Had Pomona do one last thing for me, just in case she wasn't able to help me out." As he put the recorder back in his pocket, Myles fixed Danny with a hard stare and said, "Sera told you what I had planned, didn't she?"

"I'm not sure," Danny replied honestly feeling the rope start to give a little. Steve had been very vague on the phone, having ended the call with a quick, '_I don't care how you stop him, Danno. Just make sure you save Jameson.'_

"You don't have to protect her, Williams. I know she said something. She wasn't happy with me for killing Seth."

"Why did you then?"

"Because you don't spill secrets," Myles said calmly walking across the room. Danny used the distraction to work furiously at his ropes, stopping when Myles turned to face him. He grabbed a chair matching Danny's, carrying it across the room. He sat it in front of the Jersey native's chair, flipping it around to straddle it. "Seth was trying to warn you about our plan, he would have ruined everything. So, I set him and you up. Killed two birds with one stone."

"Yeah, your friend Parker told us about the set up," Danny said slowly glancing around the room, the rope giving a little more. He felt slightly elated, he could be free real soon. The only problem, he had no idea where his gun was, if Myles had it concealed, or how to go about taking the psycho down once he was free.

"Of course he did," Myles grumbled a barely muffled shout from outside getting his attention. He stood up, slowly creeping toward the window. Danny heard the sound of a shelf being moved an inch, then a sniff. He used the few extra seconds to work the ropes feeling them give some more. He calculated a minute or so until he was free. Myles sighed and said, "Looks like your friends are all here."

"What?" _yeah, knew that already. Just hope Steve called for backup._

"Yep, HPD is sitting outside. Which means the phone should be ringing…" sure enough, Danny's phone started to ring. The Jersey native tried to find it, realizing a second later that it was sitting on a end table just out of his sight. "Excuse me, I have to take care of this."

Myles' footsteps crossed the room, Danny quickly working the ropes again. The phone rang a few more rings before Myles answered in a calm manner, "Before you speak, this is what I want. I want a vehicle, parked out front, with a full tank of gas. When that has arrived I will bring Detective Williams out. He will be released if you promise to not follow the vehicle as I drive away." It was quiet for a second. "That's all I want. But if you fail to meet any of those demands or attempt to come inside… Well, I'm sure you know what happens next.

"Half an hour," Myles said and hung up. A crunching sound followed a second later, Danny shaking his head as he listened to his phone being broken. Now he was going to have to dish out money for another phone. Next to bills, child support, his many trips to a mechanic, and the fact that he had to eat to survive he wasn't even sure he could afford a new phone on his salary.

"I don't understand," Danny started as Myles returned to his chair. "Why did you just break my phone? How will they contact you when the car is here?"

"It's called looking out the window," Myles replied calmly. "If the car isn't here in half an hour I shoot you and take my chances out there. If it is… Well, you live to fight another day, Detective Williams."

"There's no damn way McGarrett is going to let you walk. He will track you down," Danny said slowly, meeting Myles' eyes as the ropes gave, falling to the floor.

"I'm always up for a challenge," Myles said with a shrug.

"And there's no way I can let you go, either." Williams was never one to improvise often, that was McGarrett's area, but with no plan improvisation was the only thing he had. As a confused look crossed Myles face, Danny stood from the chair and threw his body weight into a tackle.

He knocked Myles from the chair, both guys and the chair falling to the floor. An elbow connected with his lip and he tasted blood. He spit it out, slamming his fist into Myles' face. He hit the guy twice more, and pulled back for a third hit only to freeze when he felt a gun rest against the back of his head.

"You honestly think I wouldn't have backup?" Myles asked with a smile on his face. Danny was grabbed and roughly pulled to his feet. He was thrown across the room, his body connecting with the edge of a small, solid end table. He fell to the ground, throwing his palms out to keep himself from face planting with the wood floor, his hurt palm stinging when it met the floor. However, his effort was for nothing when a foot connected with his side and sent him into the floor anyway.

"Criminals lie, Detective Williams. Has nobody ever taught you that?" he felt another foot connect with his side. "I mean, I wouldn't let my last lieutenant leave. Not when I need his help." Danny was yanked to his feet again, Myles standing in his line of sight. "I'm not sure whether you're very clever or very stupid."

"I was about to say the same thing about you," Danny retorted drily.

Myles snorted, looking away from the Jersey native. "Keep a hold of him," he said to the other guy, heading toward the window. It was quiet for a second, then Myles joined them again. "McGarrett isn't down there."

_"_What do you mean?" Williams asked trying to hide the anxiety in his voice. If McGarrett was going to attempt a secret rescue, and knowing his partner that sounded exactly like Steve, Danny just hoped it had a better outcome than when he tried it. Getting shot and tied up just didn't seem like fun the second time around.

"You're partner better not be trying anything, Williams," Myles snapped pointing a finger at Danny. "Because if he does, you may not live to see another day." It was a common bad guy phrase, especially when things weren't going their way. And when the glass from the window broke, bookcases falling over with deafening crashes, and the bullets started flying Danny really wished things had gone Myles' way…

**5-0 5-0 5-0**


	9. Chapter 9

**This chapter, as you can read below, starts in the past. I felt the need to describe how Steve got inside the house. Just letting you guys/gals know now.**

**Anyway, that's out of the way. Thanks ever so much for the reviews and alerts last chapter. They were much appreciated. And for those of you who are sticking with this until the end, well I really hope it's been to your liking. There will probably be one more chapter after this one. Sorry.**

**Anyhoo, please enjoy the chapter, leave a comment if you can, and I own nothing.**

**See ya…**

**5-0 5-0 5-0**

**15 minutes earlier…**

Backup had arrived about three minutes after Steve and Kono explained to the governor why they were attempting to break into her house. She took everything in stride, informing McGarrett that he was too close to the situation and should let the negotiator take charge and do her job. He hadn't been happy about it, actually attempted to argue, but Kono had elbowed him in his uninjured side and whispered, "Boss, you aren't exactly the most patient guy on the planet. Maybe you should let Sanderson do her job.

"I mean, don't you want to get Danny out of this situation relatively unscathed?"

"You know I do," Steve argued glancing at the house. He zeroed in on the bay window, facing toward all the action, noticing a sliver of a face looking down at them. "But she wasn't much help to us when O'Riley had Danny and I trapped in my basement."

"Well, that's because Danny managed to sneak past her. I mean, she was trying her hardest to get you out alive and Danny just wouldn't…" she trailed off. "No. No, Steve. You aren't thinking about doing that."

"What?" he gave her a cautious look.

"I bet anything Sanderson's gonna keep her eyes peeled just in case you _do _try to pull a 'Danny.'"

"I wasn't gonna…" he sighed heavily, it must have been etched in his eyes, his plan. "Come on, Kono. I can't leave him in there."

"But do you honestly think you can pull it off? I mean look at you…" she gestured to him, and he had to look down. His t-shirt was still covered in blood from when he ripped his stitches open, his leg was barely holding him up and sheer will kept it from shaking, and the sun was doing nothing for his aching head. It also didn't help that his left ear was doing a cheap imitation of a badly tuned radio as sound came and went as it pleased, and he so tired that the prospect of dropping seemed very possible. He wasn't faring well and trying a rescue was reckless, dangerous, and a tad stupid. But the governor paid him for his unorthodox methods, and if Danny died because he hadn't tried absolutely everything in his power to save him… Well, Steve couldn't live with that.

"Kono-" She must have read his desperation in his eyes because she sighed heavily, rolled her eyes in a way that would make Danny proud, and said, "I'll get the floor plans."

While she was on her phone, Steve could hear Sanderson on her own phone, obviously talking to Myles. He wasn't sure whose phone the psycho was using, figuring it could be Danny, and wondered briefly how Sanderson even got a hold of his partner's number. He knew for a fact that Williams didn't particularly care for Emily Sanderson and she wasn't exactly his biggest fan either. Especially since Danny beat her out for the detective job at HPD.

"Okay, here they are," Kono said appearing at his side. She handed over her cell, and Steve looked down at the screen. Scrolling through the plans, figuring Kono had used one of Chin's contacts to get them so fast, he started mentally mapping out every single way into Jameson's mansion. He figured he could sneak in through the basement, up the steps, and through the house. It was just a matter of getting past the squadron of police without being seen. Simple…

"I need you to…"

"Already on it," Kono replied and raced away from him. She headed toward Danny's car, sliding behind the wheel. Steve watched her curiously, wondering what she had planned, and then the horn sounded. She started screaming profanities that made her football heckling seem like cute little comments. While everyone's heads turned toward her, McGarrett took the opportunity to race across the yard and slip around the edge of the house and out of sight.

He rushed toward the back of the house, his eyes scanning the area for a way to get into the basement. But he ran into a problem: there was no way inside. He tried to keep his frustration in check, but it was kind of hard. His plan had gone out the window.

Steve's eyes scanned the yard for a way, any way, to get inside that mansion. He noticed how the roof sloped slightly, his eyebrows raising in wonder. He then spotted a metal table sitting on the patio, a small smile appearing on his face. Improvisation had always been more fun anyway.

He dragged the table across the yard, testing it before he climbed atop of it. He jumped up, grabbed the edge of the house, and pulled himself onto the roof. Carefully he crept across the roof, noticing for the first time that Kono's distraction had been cut off. He really hoped she hadn't been arrested for disturbing the peace.

Steve stopped just short of the edge, ducking down so he couldn't be seen but could see, and glanced down at the scene. Sure enough, Kalakaua was sitting in the back seat of a squad car, being guarded by a uniform. She looked out the window, and for a second Steve believed she caught his eyes. But he knew she didn't, nobody should be able to see him.

Silently promising Kono he would make it up to her, he moved down the roof until he was certain he was crouched directly above the library. McGarrett took a breath, knowing the next few seconds would probably hurt, and stood. He heard someone's muffled shout below, but ignored it as he turned around, grabbed the edge of the house, and dropped down. He swung his whole body weight forward, crashing through the window…

**5-0 5-0 5-0**

**Now…**

Danny was thrown to the side, barely escaping a bullet hole. He rolled, a second bullet implanting itself into the floor exactly where he had been sitting a split-second before. He had a brief glimpse of his partner before Steve ducked behind the pile of fallen bookshelves as bullets flew over his head. _Crazy bastard._

Using Myles and his lackey's distraction to his benefit, both hidden behind pillars, Williams crawled toward the bookcases. A bullet slammed into the floor, inches from his hand, wooden splinters stinging his fingers, but he managed to get to cover without any serious injuries.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he shouted at his partner as he settled next to him.

"Nice to see you too, Danno," Steve retorted peering over the edge of the shelves to fire off a couple more rounds. "I'd give you a gun, but I didn't bring enough to share." He ducked down as four bullets flew his way.

"Who died and made you Batman?"

"What? The window thing? Batman wouldn't… Okay, he would…" McGarrett trailed off blindly firing two more times. Danny covered his ears, each pop threatening to destroy his eardrums. He'd hate to think what it was doing to Steve's bad ear. "Come on, you have to admit that entrance was pretty cool."

"Just keep us alive," Danny snapped rolling his eyes and shaking his head.

McGarrett fired twice more, a grunt of pain telling Danny he had managed to hit one of them. Whether it was Myles or lackey number whatever he didn't know. If he was being Honest, it really didn't matter as long as it evened the playing field some. Without a gun, he was leaving Steve in the middle of a one-on-two fight. And even though he knew Super Seal could take care of himself, Danny wasn't used to being a sitting duck. In fact, he absolutely hated it.

"Who did you hit?" he asked glancing at his partner.

"Brunette guy. Took one to the shoulder," Steve replied leaning his head against the bookshelves. Danny hadn't noticed before, but his partner was paler than earlier, almost paper white. Something was definitely up with him.

"What's wrong?" he asked cautiously.

"What? Nothing," Steve answered way too quickly, a couple more bullets impacting with the wall above their heads and their hiding place.

"I know when you're lying, Steven. Now tell me." McGarrett begrudgingly moved his arm, blood coating his skin and soaking through his already stained t-shirt. "You ripped your stitches open again?"

"I think it was when I landed," Steve replied firing another shot over the bookcases.

"Fantastic. Anything else you're not telling me?"

"My hip may or may not be able to hold me up after this is over. Oh, yeah," Steve reloaded his gun, firing another three shots, "and my head is killing me, my ear feels like it's been stuffed with cotton, and I'm pretty damn sure if I wasn't running on adrenaline I probably would have already passed out. But other than that I am fine."

"I'm assuming that was cranky, sleep deprived, concussed Steve talking. Because normal Steve would never share that much with me."

"Yeah, we'll go with that." McGarrett fired again, another grunt of pain filling the room followed by a heavy thud. "Well, he's out of the way," he commented ducking as an array of bullets whizzed past his head.

"Which one?"

"The brunette. I hit him twice in the chest. He went down and I'm pretty sure he isn't getting back up anytime soon."

"Now it's just Myles, and his never ending supply of ammo."

"He's used, at least, two clips. You carry, what, two extra clips?"

"Yeah," Danny replied nodding once.

"Okay. And I bet they each brought an extra clip. Jekyll used both of his and was probably on one of yours. So," Steve closed his eyes, silently calculating, "he probably had half a clip left. Add that to Myles'…"

"And they've got more bullets than you, right?"

"Right," Steve answered firing once more. "But there's only one of them now. If I can just find a way…" he trailed off, sinking to the ground.

"What?"

"Nothing," he answered but his eyes were closed. Dizzy spell plus concussion plus blood loss meant they had to hurry before Super Seal took an unplanned nap.

"Give me the gun," Danny snapped holding out his hand.

"What?"

"Give me the gun," Williams repeated testily.

"No, it's my turn to save you. You got to shoot the bad guy last time we were taken captive."

"This is the worst time to argue with me, Steven. Now give me the damn gun."

"Fine," McGarrett relented handing his Sig over to Danny. Williams tested the gun in his hands, checked the clip, and peered over the edge of the shelves. He noticed Myles leaning against the pillar, looking down at the body of his fallen fried. Danny wasn't sure if Steve's assessment of the guy's health was correct. To Williams, the guy looked dead.

"Myles," he called ducking down when Fenton looked his way. Danny was sure Myles' trigger finger was itching to take a shot. "Come on, man. Just give it up." Fenton didn't reply, just fired off two more shots. "Look, we really don't want to kill you." Four more shots, rapid fire, collided with the wall above them. "But if you keep…"

"Danny, just shoot at him," McGarrett said impatiently.

"I am trying to…"

"Negotiating didn't help last time, what makes you think it'll help this time," Steve whispered quickly. He was right, the last time Danny tried to talk a guy off a ledge he had literally jumped off the ledge. But he didn't become a cop to watch people die, he had to at least try to get through to Myles.

"I have to try."

"Give me the gun." Steve tried to take it from him, but Danny managed to dodge him.

"Stop it." He slapped McGarrett's hand away from the weapon.

"_Give _me the gun."

"Fine, you want me to shoot it." Blindly, Danny fired the gun three times. One shot went wild while the other two hit their target. Myles' bodied thudded to the floor, the sound of his gun clattering against the wood following.

"Nice shot, Danno," Steve said as he attempted to push himself to his feet. Every hurt he had listed earlier must have caught up with him because he barely made it five inches off the floor when he had to lower himself back down.

"Come on, you big pain in the ass," Danny said as he pushed himself up. He offered Steve a hand, the taller man taking it. It took Williams a couple tries, McGarrett trying and failing to help, but he finally pulled his partner to his feet.

He helped Steve gimp across the room, both stopping next to the fallen guys. One looked like he was barely breathing, while the other wasn't breathing at all. Myles was dead and his group was disbanded. After a week the case was officially over and all it took was the death of an innocent man. Justice could be a crock of shit sometimes.

"Where's SWAT?" McGarrett asked glancing around the room, using one of the pillars to keep himself up. "You'd think they'd be here by now." The words were barely out of his mouth when the doors flew open, bookshelves skidding across the floor, and four guys decked out in total SWAT gear came rushing inside.

"McGarrett, Williams..." the lead SWAT guy trailed off, glancing down at the bodies. "What happened?"

"We did your job, Quinton," Danny said as he grabbed hold of Steve's arm and helped him toward the door. "You might want to get an ambulance for him." He pointed at Lackey Guy and headed out the door. "And Max for Myles."

It took them a while to get down the stairs, McGarrett having a hard time maneuvering on his hip, but they finally managed to get outside. An ambulance was parked in the governor's front lawn, waiting for them. Danny refused medical attention, but made sure Steve was checked out despite the fact that the SEAL insisted he was fine. If there was one thing Danny was sure of, it was that his partner was not fine. And even if he had to ride in the ambulance with McGarrett, he was going to make damn sure the stubborn jackass got the help he needed.

**5-0 5-0 5-0**

When they got to the hospital the doctor didn't look surprised, in fact he looked a tad annoyed as he started stitching Steve up for the third time. Kono stood off to the side, watching as the doctor worked. McGarrett never made a sound, never showed any pain, a stoic look etched across his face. But Kono knew he was in pain, his eyes were as easy to read as Danny's.

"I'd ask you to stay for observations, but knowing you you'll walk out anyway. So, I am going to talk your partner into watching you. Or, at the very least, make sure you get home in one piece. Because I do not want to see you back here so soon. Try to wait, at least, through the weekend. Please." The doctor shook his head when Steve smiled and walked out of the room mumbling under his breath in a language Kono didn't know.

"Danny's gonna have a field day with that," Steve muttered and Kono had to hold in a smile. It was what Danny had said about McGarrett when they were searching for Marquez. They were more alike than either one would care to admit.

"I could take you home," Kono suggested with a shrug.

"Nah, you make sure Chin's okay. Maybe he'll wake up soon." He gave her a small smile, pushing himself to his feet. He limped out of the cubical, Kono slowly following him. They met up with Danny four seconds before he could push the curtain aside.

"Just take me to my truck," Steve said before Danny could open his mouth to complain. "I am fully capable of looking after myself."

"Really? Because leaving you alone usually results in you ended up here," Danny retorted gesturing around the hospital.

"Not always."

"A good majority of the time, boss," Kono said quietly fighting a smile. The SEAL glared at his team and limped toward the entrance.

"See ya, Kono," Danny said grinning. With one final wave he quickly chased after his partner, squeezing between the doors before they could fully close.

"Bye," she called quietly. She turned, heading toward the elevators. She pressed the arrow button, waiting for the doors to open.

"He's not in the ICU anymore," a voice said behind her. Kono rolled her eyes, but managed a forced smile as she turned.

"Hey Malia." She sounded as if she had lockjaw.

"Chin's been moved to a room on the fourth floor. His condition's been moved from serious to stable. Just thought you'd want to know." Malia turned, heading back down the hallway.

"Wait," Kono called and she stopped. "Thanks, you know, for helping him."

"Don't mention it," Malia replied without turning around and continued down the hall. Kono still didn't like her, but she didn't exactly hate her either at the moment. Of course, she still left Chin heartbroken, so in a couple days Kalakaua would probably despise Malia Weston again. She could hardly wait…

**5-0 5-0 5-0**

His brain was pounding against his skull, each thud sending a wave of nausea through him. A part of him knew he should be feeling more pain, but he mostly felt numb. He tried to wrack his brain, figure out what happened, but it was all one big blank.

He peeled his eyes open, letting the blurry room snap into focus before he looked around. It was a hospital, he was in a hospital. The room was too white, the smell of antiseptic stung his nose, and the constant beeping above his head was just three of several major clues.

"Chin?" a voice said above him. He let his eyes travel toward the voice, a small smile appearing on his face when he spotted his cousin. The smile, however, turned into a frown when he noticed the cuts and bruises littering her face.

"What…?" he cleared his throat, surprised at how dry it was, and tried again, "What happened?"

"You've been unconscious for a few hours, I wasn't…" Kono trailed off biting her bottom lip to keep it from trembling. "But you're awake." She stood up, realization crossing her face. "You're awake. I have to get the doctor." She started to walk away from him, but he managed to snag her hand.

"Can you… Can you stay for a second?" a part of him just didn't want to be alone. He wasn't sure why, but it was strong and he couldn't ignore it.

"But the doctor…"

"Kono, please?"

An uncertain look crossed her face, but she nodded and sat down again. They were quiet for a second then Chin asked, "Where are Danny and Steve?"

"They just left a few minutes ago," she answered vaguely. He didn't like it when people kept things from him, but he had a feeling she was trying to not upset him. "But they'll be back tomorrow. I mean, once I tell them you're awake."

A flash of an explosion crashed against Chin's brain, heat and pain coming back to him in such detail he couldn't breathe for a second.

"Chin," Kono's alarmed voice brought him back to reality.

"Was there an explosion?" he asked worriedly when he was capable of taking in a breath again.

"Yeah, but we caught the guys. We caught them and you're going to be fine." She gave him a smile that didn't even reach her eyes. "Can we… Can we talk about something else?"

"How about later," he suggested suddenly tired. He just wanted to sleep and stay asleep for a while. And even though a part of him really didn't want to go back to sleep, he was out before he could properly listen to it…

**5-0 5-0 5-0**

It was almost five when Danny pulled into his parking lot. He turned his engine off, glancing over at Steve. The SEAL was quite asleep, but he was heading that way. If the car ride was any longer he probably would have passed out against the window.

"You wanna come in for a beer before you leave?" Danny asked curiously.

"Might as well," McGarrett responded and pushed the door open. Danny copied him, both heading toward his apartment. Williams unlocked the door, allowing the SEAL to go inside before him. As his partner headed toward his couch and sat down, Danny headed toward the bathroom.

"Hey," he called as he washed his hands, trying to get all the blood, dirt, grime, and gunpowder off his fingers, "you want me to order a pizza? I am willing to, just this once, befoul the thing with fruit if you want." McGarrett didn't answer.

Eyebrows raised, Danny dried his hands and headed back into his living room/kitchen/dining room. He chuckled once when he found Steve asleep on his couch. Grabbing a blanket off the back, he threw it over his partner, pulled his combat boots off (careful of McGarrett's injured ankle), and whispered, "Good night, Super Seal..."


	10. Chapter 10

**Thanks for reviewing and alerting, you guys are beyond awesome, and please enjoy. See ya…**

**5-0 5-0 5-0**

He awoke to singing. It wasn't the loud, obnoxious singing Mary used to do, but the quiet, _'I'm not aware I'm singing' _kind. His left ear, muffled yet still producing sound, couldn't quite pick up the lyrics but it sounded like a Journey song. He slowly sat up, for a second not sure where he was, until he spotted his partner sitting at his kitchen table.

Danny had a pile of paperwork in front of him, an iPod sitting next to the stack, a pen cap hanging out of his mouth as his hand moved across the page in his messy scrawl. Headphones covered his ears, his lips moving with each lyric, his head bobbing in time with the music. Steve studied him for a moment, never really understanding how the Jersey native could get anything done with music blaring in his ears. He was the same way at HPD, some band or another blasting from his computer's speakers as he finished his reports.

Sitting up he could just make out the lyrics. It was a Journey song, one Steve didn't know the title to, but heard once. In fact, he was pretty sure it was in Danny's office. He listened to Danny sing the lyrics for a second, "'_…You're tearing me apart. Every, everyday. You're tearing me apart. Oh, what can I say? You're tearing me apart… It won't be long….'_" Williams cut off, glancing up to see McGarrett staring at him. "Holy crap! Make a noise next time." As the pen cap fell from his lips, Danny tore the headphones off his ears, throwing them next to the iPod, switching the device off.

"Sorry," Steve replied smiling. "It was such a star worthy performance, I didn't want to interrupt."

Ears burning, Danny glared at him and snapped, "Shut up."

McGarrett's grin widened as he continued, "No, I'm serious. The all boys' choir would kill to have you. I mean, you _do_ meet their height requirement." A pen cap struck him in the forehead. "That was uncalled for."

"No it wasn't," Danny answered simply as he stood up.

"What were you doing, anyway?" Steve questioned swinging his legs off the couch. Or trying to, his hip had stiffened during his slumber and it was being difficult. He could hardly maneuver on it without wincing in some pain.

"Paperwork. You know, shooting perps requires some paperwork. It's procedure. Something you rarely do," Danny commented walking toward a cabinet. He grabbed a glass from inside, turning the faucet on to fill it with water

"I do paperwork," Steve argued trying to stretch his leg out in front of him, hoping to help his hip, but to barely any avail.

"If signing _Steve_ _McGarrett_ across the bottom constitutes as paperwork, then you do it all the time," Danny retorted popping open an orange bottle. He shook out a couple white tablets into his left hand, grabbed the water, and carried both over to Steve. "Take these, don't argue, and you can have lunch… dinner… food."

"You're so bossy," McGarrett grumbled letting Williams dump the pills into his hand. He popped them into his mouth, realizing they were a little too big to dry swallow, and took a sip of the water for help. "Wait, what did you mean by that 'lunch…dinner…food' crap?" he asked when the pills cleared his throat.

"It's a quarter to four," Danny replied heading back to his fridge.

"In the morning?" Steve asked hopefully.

"No, the afternoon," Williams replied taking out a Tupperware container. He checked the contents before carrying it over to Steve. "You've been asleep for almost twenty-four hours." He handed the container to McGarrett. "It was the quietest twenty-four hours I've had since meeting you."

"Ha ha," Steve retorted opening the container. Inside was leftover spaghetti that looked vaguely like Kono's recipe. She had made it once, a few weeks back. It wasn't the greatest tasting meal on the planet, but McGarrett was hungry and could probably eat just about anything so he opted to shovel it in his mouth when Danny offered him a fork. "So," he started around a mouth full, "you talked to Kono?"

"She was at the hospital when I went to visit Chin. He's awake, by the way," Danny responded sitting next to Steve.

"What, no drink?"

"Do I look like your damn servant? Get up and get it yourself." Williams snapped leaning back into the couch.

Steve chuckled once, took another bite, and said, "So, Chin's awake?"

"That's what I said," Williams replied grabbing the remote off his coffee table and flipping the television on. Steve mulled that over as he continued to eat, not sure what he should do with the information. Chin being awake meant the experienced cop was probably going to be okay, it also meant he was slowly going to piece together what had happened. How would Kelly feel about McGarrett when he realized what had happened to him was Steve's fault?

"He doesn't blame you, you know," Danny said flipping through the channels, not looking at Steve.

"Huh?"

"Chin. He realizes you weren't one-hundred percent Super SEAL at the time of the explosion. He's not holding it against you." The Jersey native settled on as basketball game, watching the players run back and forth across the court.

For a while they sat in silence, just watching the game, Steve finishing the spaghetti. When the game ended, the pain pills having fully kicked in, McGarrett stood up. He took his dirty dishes to Danny's sink, deposited them, and turned toward the door. "So, thanks for letting me stay."

"You didn't give me much choice," Danny responded standing and crossing his arms. "I mean, your Sasquatch sized body passed out on my couch."

"Regardless, thank you."

"Take your pills," Williams said nodding toward the orange bottle still sitting on the counter. McGarrett nodded, pocketing them. "And go see Chin. Don't sit and brood and ignore him. It didn't work with me, and I can guarantee it's not gonna work with him. I mean, Kono already threatened to drag you to the hospital by your hair if you didn't show up." Steve smiled, shaking his head. "I'm serious. You said she could break teeth, I'm sure she could drag you down to see Chin. Especially at this point."

"I'll be sure to tell her how much faith you have in her," Steve replied heading toward the door. "See ya, Danny." He opened the door, stepped out, and closed it on Danny's, "Bye, Batman."

**5-0 5-0 5-0**

Twenty-five minutes later, Steve stood outside Chin's room. He had gone home, showered, changed, and spent ten minutes debating whether or not he should go see Kelly. It had been an intense debate, one that had both Danny's and Kono's voices yelling at him in his head, telling him to get off his butt and see the older man. He finally relented, but had yet to go inside.

A part of him didn't want to go inside, despite what Danny had said he still couldn't shake the feeling that Chin was going to blame him. And he had every right to; this had been Steve's fault. But another part of McGarrett, a much stronger part, told him to open the door. He was a SEAL, damn it, he had done harder things then talk to someone. Giving up was not an option, going home made him a quitter. And he was anything but a quitter.

He took a breath, grabbed the knob, and opened the door. He found Chin, sitting up in bed, watching television, the volume turned down low, and Kono crashed out on the tiny couch shoved in the corner. When McGarrett shut the door, Kelly turned to look at him, a small smile spreading across his face.

"Been wondering when you were going to visit," he said turning the television off and setting the remote on his bed. "Heard you were sawing logs, and that your snoring could wake the dead."

"Danny and his sense of humor," Steve mumbled lowering himself into a chair. Despite the pain pills in his system, his hip was beginning to bother him again. "So, how're you doing?"

"Me? Other than the pounding headache, the screwed up knee, the fact that I can't move my arm without hurting my shoulder, and the sore ribs I am a-okay," Chin replied trying and failing to hide a wince when he moved too quickly. "How's about you?"

"Well, I'm a lot better than you seem," McGarrett replied quietly finding his hands to be mighty interesting.

"Steve, do we have to have the blame talk, again? Because I'm not Danny, I can't rant. I'd much rather just tell you I don't blame you and have you believe me."

"Yeah, Danny told me you said that."

"Well, I don't. You see, every cop has those days. Where they're tired, want to go home, and just don't think things through. I do, Danny does, and your dad did." The mention of his dad had Steve looking up to meet Chin's dark eyes. "I remember once, Jack almost got me shot because he had miscalculated where the gunman was. And all because he was too preoccupied with getting the case done. You see, you are not alone."

Steve was quiet for a second, glancing at Kono, and then said, "How long has she been here?"

"All night. She did go home for an hour or two around eleven this morning, left me with Danny," Chin replied following McGarrett's gaze. "I… I just didn't want to be alone." The words were said so uncertain, as if Chin himself didn't know where they came from. Steve met his eyes and said, "Well, we can send her home and I can stick around."

"I like that idea," Kelly replied nodding once, a small smile on his face.

"Good, because it's either sit here or help Danny with paperwork."

"Oh, what's wrong with paperwork?"

"It's fine if… you know…"

"You're not used to getting shot at on a daily basis?" Chin was dead on, but Steve refused to admit it.

"No, it's just… Danny is so much better at it than me. So, so much better."

"I dare you to tell him that," Kelly replied with a bigger smile. "I mean, the rant alone would be worth it. His hands would probably knock out a nurse or two, his mouth would come up with so many swear words Kono would blush. It would make my year."

"You have a sick mind, Kelly," Steve said grinning, shaking his head. Chin chuckled but didn't respond. Steve leaned back in his chair, feeling loads better. The case had been closed, his team was all in one piece, and Five-0 would live to fight another day. And at the end of the day, that was all that really mattered…

**THE END…**

**5-0 5-0 5-0**

**That's all I have for you guys. I hope this story did **_**Confined**_** justice, please drop a comment if you can, and I own nothing.**

**See ya**

**P.S. The song Danny is singing is **_**Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin' **_**by Journey. I love the song and listened to it a few times to get the lyrics right. The band may have been big before I was born, but I still rock out to them :P**

**PEACE…**


End file.
